Prada-Kolhapuri row: Piyush Goyal says India will get due credit for its design; calls it GI product

NEW DELHI: Union commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said that India will get its due credit for its unique cultural products following the newly signed Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom.Goyal cited the recent Prada–Kolhapuri chappal controversy and said that the government is moving to protect and promote its unique cultural products in global markets.

“When a global brand used the design of our Kolhapuri chappals, the Commerce Ministry immediately took action on it. Going forward, when the Kolhapuri chappal is exported, India will get the due credit for its design. It is India’s GI product,” Goyal said.He added that many global brands are now keen to associate with Indian products and market them worldwide. “Many global brands are expressing their desire to associate their names with India’s products and sell them in global markets. The Kolhapuri chappal can have a business potential of Rs 8,000–10,000 crore in the international market,” he said.This comes in the wake of the recent controversy involving luxury fashion house Prada, which was accused of violating Geographical Indication (GI) rights linked to Kolhapuri chappals. The brand featured sandals inspired by traditional Indian designs in its Spring/Summer 2026 menswear collection in Milan.“The sandals in question are broadly described as ‘leather sandals’, and there has been no suggestion—direct or indirect—that they originate from the GI-designated region or replicate the traditional Kolhapuri manufacturing technique,” Prada said in a statement in early July.Prada denied any wrongdoing after receiving a ₹500 crore legal notice from LIDKAR, a Karnataka government-backed body that co-owns the GI tag for Kolhapuri chappals. The company’s legal team stated it did not use the word ‘Kolhapuri’ or any GI-related tags in naming, marketing, or displaying the sandals.The legal notice had accused Prada of “selling, advertising, marketing GI-registered goods… without proper authorisation or permission, which seriously violates GI rights of my client, and attracts civil and criminal offences.”In a previous statement on June 27, Prada acknowledged drawing inspiration from Indian footwear but reiterated that it did not use the Kolhapuri name or traditional methods.IP law experts in India have said that design inspiration alone does not amount to infringement under current legislation. “Borrowing the style without using the GI name in trade does not necessarily violate GI provisions,” said Priyanka Khimani, founder of an IP law firm. “Unless Prada markets or sells these sandals using the word ‘Kolhapuri’ or implies a link to Kolhapur’s craftsmanship, there is no legal recourse,” she added.