NABARD has supported 28 new products in securing Geographical Indication (GI) registrations, taking its total GI-backed portfolio to 176 products. New additions include Bihar's Nalanda Bawanbuti Saree, Himachal Wood Carving Craft, Khajuraho Metal Craft, Kuchai Silk Saree, and Bihu Pepa from Assam. NABARD's GI interventions have connected over 13,000 artisans to markets, generated 50,000+ direct jobs, and engaged 14 Rural Enterprise Producer Organisations across six states.

Geographical Indication tags are intellectual property rights under the TRIPS Agreement and India's GI of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. They certify that a product originates from a specific region and possesses qualities attributable to that origin — giving producers legal monopoly over the tag and enabling premium pricing in global markets.

NABARD's GI support goes far beyond just filing registrations. It operates along the entire value chain: collectivising artisans into producer organisations (REPOs), funding skill development, establishing GI Facilitation Centres at institutions like EDII Ahmedabad, Bihar Agricultural University, and MABIF Tamil Nadu, and even running a GI Store at Aihole, Karnataka for retail visibility.

Why does this matter economically? India is estimated to have over 14,000 potential GI products, yet only a fraction is registered. Without GI protection, traditional artisans lose out to imitations and middlemen. NABARD's intervention directly addresses rural income disparities — the 50,000 jobs and 13,000 artisan linkages reflect a deliberate strategy to monetise cultural heritage.

For NABARD Grade A aspirants, this topic sits at the intersection of rural development, financial inclusion, intellectual property, and export promotion — all core ESI and development banking themes. Examiners often test the institutional ecosystem (REPOs, facilitation centres) alongside the cumulative figures.