GI Tag to Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi | 15 Mar 2024

Source: TH

The renowned Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi (Silver Filigree) has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag, marking its distinct heritage and craftsmanship.

• Dating back to ancient Mesopotamia, where filigree adorned jewellery as early as 3500 BCE, its journey to Cuttack potentially via Persia and Indonesia speaks volumes about cultural exchange through maritime trade routes.
  • Filigree is ornamental work especially of fine wire of gold, silver, or copper applied chiefly to gold and silver surfaces.
• Alongside Cuttack Rupa Tarakasi, other crafts like Banglar muslin (West Bengal), Narasapur crochet lace (Andhra Pradesh), and Kutch rogan craft (Gujarat) have also earned GI status, emphasising the diversity and excellence of India's traditional crafts.
• A GI tag is a label used on products linked to a specific geographic area, ensuring only authorised users from that region can use the product's name.
  • It guards against imitation and lasts for 10 years once registered.
  • The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) manages GI registration in India under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999, in line with the TRIPS agreement.

Read more: Geographical Indication Tag