The Hindu Business Line : Pochampally Ikat gets GI protection

THE famed Ikat style, whose creations include the attractive `Tie and Dye' and silk woven sarees from Pochampally village, about 50 km from Hyderabad, has now been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) status, giving it both protection and branding.

Pochampally Ikat, will henceforth be the registered property of Pochampally Handloom Weavers' Cooperative Society Ltd and the Pochampally Handloom Tie and Dye Silk Sarees Manufacturers Association.

It has been registered with the GI Registry, Chennai, under the Geographical Indication of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.

Well-known GI recognised global products include Scotch Whisky and Champagne etc Efforts have been initiated in India, especially after the controversy over the Basmati rice (patents issue) in the late 1990s, to bring a large number of art & traditional forms from a particular region, under the GI Act.

The GI registration will now confer legal protection to the Pochampally Ikat, against its unauthorised use.

It is also expected to give a brand image to the Pochampally products, gaining greater reach in domestic and international markets.

In the case of the Pochampally Ikat, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard), AP region, provided financial assistance to the Andhra Pradesh Technology Promotion and Development Centre for filing an application before the GI Registry, Chennai, seeking protection for the Pochampally art form on behalf of the weavers and manufacturers associations.

Incidentally, Nabard had launched its cluster development programme in Pochampally village on March 25, 2003, for the benefit of the handloom silk weavers under its National Programme for Rural Industrialisation, in association with the Textiles Committee of the Centre, Mr J.R. Sarangal, Chief General Manager of the Region, said in a press release here today.

The idea was to make the products of Pochampally cluster as a "globally preferred Tie and Dye textiles".

Nabard has conducted programmes like a workshop on best dyeing practises, demonstration of hank yarn dyeing machine, health cam for women weavers and a workshop to create awareness about the intellectual property rights.

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