Jaipur blue pottery gets Geographical Indications

Jaipur, Aug 21 (ANI): The famed blue pottery of Jaipur has got the Geographical Indications (GI) status.

It has been registered in the name of Jaipur district with the Geographical Indications Registry office in Chennai.

GI sees a product as originating in an area where its given qualities, reputation and other characteristics are attributed to its geographical origin.

The Blue Pottery from now onward will bear the GI mark, making it difficult for any other clay pottery or cheap imitations made elsewhere to be sold as Blue pottery.

Only specific pottery produced by artisans in Jaipur and has the same unique age-old qualities and the reputation will be known as Blue Pottery and will have the GI status.

"It's (Blue Pottery) unique and to save its uniqueness it was registered (for Geographical Indications). It will benefit the blue pottery, which has been registered in the name of Jaipur district.

Now no one can sell ordinary pottery as Blue Pottery or can even make the Blue Pottery elsewhere. This will give the artisans (of Jaipur) protection. Secondly we have prepared and registered a logo called 'Jaipur Blue'. It has been given to artisans to be used," said Ashok Jain, Managing Director, Rural Non-Farm Development Agency.

According to Jain, artisans engaged in the blue pottery trade were losing their business to cheap imitations and needed some kind of protection. He says the registration will patronise the artisans and trade in Jaipur.

Exporters are happy with the new development and said it will curb counterfeit items from being sold as Blue pottery and will also promote the business of artisans, sellers and exporters.

"It will benefit us. Those people who were selling Khurja (clay pottery made in Uttar Pradesh) ...sometimes on the roadside... will not be able to sell them as Blue pottery," said Anil Doraya, Blue Pottery exporter.

With the GI registration under its belt, the Blue pottery can hope to increase its visibility and sale in the international market as well. (ANI)