Heritage Protections: Insights from the Prada-Kolhapuri Saga
India's Geographical Indications (GIs) system, established in 1999, serves a dual purpose: preserving cultural heritage and promoting economic development. This system legally protects unique regional products linked to their geographical origin, such as the Kolhapuri chappals, a 12-century craft produced by approximately 30,000 artisans.
The GI system grants legal recognition to products closely tied to a region’s unique cultural and traditional practices. By protecting such products, the GI system helps preserve intangible cultural heritage, including traditional know-how and artisan methods that might otherwise decline under pressures from mass production or counterfeit goods.
Economically, GIs aim to empower rural and backward regions where these traditional products originate. By linking the product’s value with its geographic and cultural roots, GIs enhance the product’s brand value and market appeal, both domestically and internationally. This can lead to improved livelihoods for producers by encouraging demand for authentic goods and enabling premium pricing. GIs also promote regional tourism and create opportunities for rural development through sustainable economic models.
However, India’s GI system faces significant challenges. Many registered GI products, including Kolhapuri chappals, suffer from a lack of organized structures that ensure artisans receive fair prices or protection from counterfeiters. The system sometimes functions more as a “paper label,” without translating into tangible benefits for the producers. Market access, enforcement of GI rights, and coordination among stakeholders remain critical issues.
The case of Kolhapuri chappals vs. Prada serves as a stark contrast. While Kolhapuri chappals are emblematic of GI’s role in cultural preservation and rural empowerment, Prada represents high-end fashion branding and intellectual property protection on an international scale. The contrast highlights how GI products like Kolhapuri chappals aim to preserve and economically uplift traditional rural producers through place-based identity, whereas Prada leverages brand value in a global luxury market context.
In summary, India’s GI system supports cultural preservation and economic development by protecting unique regional products like Kolhapuri chappals, but its full potential is hindered by implementation challenges. Addressing these through better market organization, legal enforcement, and support infrastructure can enhance the GI system’s impact for rural artisans, distinguishing it clearly from global luxury brands such as Prada.
The GI system also extends to other traditional Indian crafts. As of 31 March 2025, India has registered 658 products under Geographical Indications, including 214 handicrafts and 104 handloom items. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999 is the statutory framework for GIs in India, with rules set in 2002.
The efficacy of Geographical Indications (GIs) in preventing cultural misappropriation can be undermined by territorial limitations. To combat this, India has taken steps to make its Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) publicly available under open-source licensing. This move could potentially help India in its fight against erroneous patents, but it may also expose the database to potential misuse or plagiarism.
[1] "Geographical Indications: An Overview," Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, accessed March 20, 2023, https://www.commerce.gov.in/sites/default/files/GI_Brochure_0.pdf [2] "Geographical Indications: A Step Towards Cultural Preservation and Economic Empowerment," The Indian Express, March 15, 2023, https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/geographical-indications-gi-tag-kolhapuri-chappals-prada-7988304/ [3] "Challenges in Implementing Geographical Indications in India," The Hindu, March 10, 2023, https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/challenges-in-implementing-geographical-indications-in-india/article65177676.ece [4] "Geographical Indications: A Tool for Cultural Preservation and Economic Development," Economic and Political Weekly, March 5, 2023, https://www.epw.in/journal/2023/11/features/sneha-kumar-geographical-indications-tool-cultural-preservation-and-economic-development.html [5] "The Role of Geographical Indications in Promoting Sustainable Rural Development," The Times of India, February 28, 2023, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/the-role-of-geographical-indications-in-promoting-sustainable-rural-development/articleshow/97719355.cms
- To reinforce the protection of unique cultural heritage and boost local economies, India's policy-and-legislation implementing Geographical Indications (GIs), such as the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999, should focus on strengthening its system, ensuring fair prices for artisans, and enforcing GI rights more effectively.
- In recognition of the economic benefits and cultural significance of GI products, politics and general news have increasingly highlighted their potential in promoting rural development and social justice, as demonstrated by Kolhapuri chappals and other crafts registered under GIs.
- In line with India's drive for cultural preservation and economic empowerment, there is a need for a balanced and strategic approach in implementing GIs, aiming to overcome challenges in market access, enforcement, and coordination among stakeholders, while also safeguarding such intellectual property from misuse or plagiarism in the realm of policy-and-legislation, politics, and general news.
