Popular body art in India gets GI label
Sojat Mehndi from Rajasthan has received the geographical indication (GI) tag from the government. This is an incredible milestone for India because not just the economic benefit but the Indian people will now have another GI in the list of protection and recognized products worldwide.
Sojat Mehndi is a type of ingredient made from the state of Rajasthan in northern India. In addition, it is also used to describe the type of painting, as well as the paste manufactured itself.
In general, it can be understood as the product originates from mehndi leaves grown in Sojat.
To make Sojat Mehndi, the leaves must be naturally cultivated by rainwater. It then gets dried and the oil is extracted from the leaves.
Other parts of the mehndi plant are likewise not wasted. The leaves of the mehndi plant, bark, seeds, and root are taken for medicinal use.
Sojat Mehndi registers GI protection
Mehndi Vyapar Sangh Samiti, Sojat, Rajasthan, and the state’s Department of Science and Technology are the registered proprietor of the Sojat Mehndi GI tag.
In India and especially in the city of Sojat, a large proportion of the population apply the paste to their hands, legs, and feet. Famous actresses and Miss World titleholders Aishwarya Rai and Priyanka Chopra also used this type of painting during their weddings.
Not just in India but this type of product is also used widely in many ASEAN countries, and even internationally.
Accordingly, this brings back a lot of revenues to India in general and the producer of Sojat Mehndi in particular.
Now, with the GI protection, no other parties besides the grower and the legitimate sellers of this product, both domestically and internationally, can use the name to sell similar goods.
Expert opinions
Rajasthan’s Department of Science and Technology Secretary Mugdha Sinha told PTI: “GI tag for Sojat Mehndi is a win-win for farmers, MSME players, artisans and consumers alike if we can leverage it to enhance its exports given its herbal cosmetic and medicinal uses. It will contribute to both employment and revenue.”
Sonal Madan, a partner at Chadha & Chadha in New Delhi stated about the importance of registering GI protection: “The GI tag will serve as a symbol of quality and will also imply the product’s place of origin. It is expected to bring several economic benefits as the members of the Sojat community can command a premium price in view of the distinct characteristics of their product. The mehndi from Sojat is believed to have cosmetic and medicinal use. Therefore, a GI tag may help increase the demand for the product in the domestic and international markets.”
She also remarked about the potential benefits of this action, mainly regarding the image of the product and the overall enhancement of quality of Sojat Mehndi: “It is worth noting that the GI tag may also help curb the sale of adulterated mehndi. The sellers of mehndi originating from other regions sometimes add harmful chemicals to the product to bring out a color similar to Sojat mehndi. The GI tag will help differentiate Sojat mehndi from such products too.”
Madan added about the future of farmers and sellers of the product with Sojat protected as a Geographical indication: “The GI tag may also help the Sojat community farmers as they may push for the inclusion of their product on the list of agricultural commodities, which may open a dialogue on issues like Minimum Sale Prices or MSP insurance for the crop.”
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