According to a press release, the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has been consistently working towards rural development and farmer empowerment. The release said that the theme of the meeting was “Leveraging GI Potential for Rural Prosperity: Post-GI Strategies for Branding, Marketing and Value Addition.”
The meeting was inaugurated by Shri Pankaj Yadav, Chief General Manager, NABARD, in the presence of senior officials from SLBC, UKSRLM, KVIC/KVIB, Agriculture & Horticulture Departments, IIT Roorkee, IIM Kashipur, UKSTCB, Rural Development Department, NGOs, and other stakeholders. Representatives from Uttarakhand Tea Board, DDMs, and channel partners also joined virtually.
A key highlight of the meeting was an online technical session by Padma Shri Dr. Rajnikant, popularly known as the GI Man of India. Rajnikant’s presence at the session was significant in view of the growing importance of GI registration. He explained the importance of GI registration, authorized user addition, and post-GI strategies. He also lauded the NABARD’s proactive role in identifying GI-worthy products, facilitating registrations, and promoting branding and marketing initiatives for artisans and farmers in Uttarakhand.
During the meeting, experts shared different solutions as well as their collaborative ideas on how social media platforms and start-ups can play a pivotal role in GI promotion, branding, and expanding market reach. The meeting underlined the need for convergence between departments and schemes to strengthen GI-based rural prosperity.
NABARD reiterated its commitment to empowering rural communities through GI promotion, branding support, training, and market linkages, ensuring that traditional crafts and produce of Uttarakhand gain national and global recognition. At the meeting, NABARD’s pro-active role in the hill state of Uttarakhand was appreciated, including its efforts in identifying, registering, branding and marketing GI-eligible products.