KVIC applies for registration of 'Khadi' trademark

To protect brand ‘Khadi’, as a symbol of India’s struggle for Independence, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has applied for registration of the trademark in India before claiming the international trademark for the humble fabrics. The step was taken after reports of the ‘Khadi’ trademark already being registered in Germany, Spain, Hungary and India.

In a written reply to a question by P Srinivasa Reddy in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for MSME Giriraj Mishra said, “The process to register international trademark for ‘Khadi’ for intellectual property rights under the World Intellectual Property Organisation’s Madrid Protocol is of two stages; first, at the national and subsequently at the international level. KVIC has applied to register the trademark for ‘Khadi’ under appropriate classes.”

Asked if the government was facing a trademark hurdle in countries where it had already been registered, Singh said the issue was brought to the government’s notice by the Indian Embassies in Germany, Poland, Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Union, as well by traders and merchant exporters who were not able to market ‘Khadi’ products there.

‘Khadi’ has already been registered by a German company (Khadi Natureprodukte GbR) as a trademark, with the Office for Harmonization in the internal market in Spain, giving it exclusive rights for the use of the term. Back home, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said in his radio address that his appeal to the people to buy more hand-woven cotton fabrics products has led to the rise in sale of khadi products, which witnessed almost 125 percent growth.