Khadi to get recognized as India-originated product

Famous as the fabric belonging to Mahatma Gandhi’s Swadeshi movement,

khadi is gradually gaining momentum both in India and across international fashion circuits. An association of intellectual property rights lawyers has now asked for Geographical Indication (GI) tag for khadi , recognising it as a product unique to India.

The GI tag is a statutory protection for products which are unique to a particular region, and it aims to prevent abuse of the uniqueness by people who stake false claims to the product. The application filed before the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai says that khadi needs to be protected as a distinctive Indian hand-woven cotton fabric and safeguarded against fake claims.

Seeking GI tag for khadi products made all across India, the association said that it was applying on behalf of all manufacturers in various states in order to protect their interests. According to their application, as per the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), khadi is the only fabric that can be used for making India's National Flag, as per the Flag Code of India, 2002.