Why in the news
NABARD’s Bankers Institute of Rural Development (BIRD), Kolkata, held a capacity-building programme in Namsai on how producer groups can turn Geographical Indication tags into real income.
Key facts
- Programme: Capacity Building Programme on Geographical Indications (GI) and Post-GI Initiatives for Livelihood.
- Dates and venue: 17-19 June 2026, Hotel Namlau, Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh.
- Organiser: BIRD, Kolkata, serving the Eastern and North-Eastern Region.
- Participants: NGOs, Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), Organic FPOs (OFPOs) and others from Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
- Inaugural guests: MLA Namsai Chau Zingnu Namchoom (Chief Guest), District Planning Officer Dr. Keshab Sarmah, NABARD DGM Vivek Anand, BIRD Kolkata Programme Director Dr. Bhawana Pal and NABARD AGM Kamal Roy.
- Topics: GI registration procedure, post-GI livelihood initiatives, branding, IPR awareness, market development and case studies.
NABARD’s role in GI promotion
| Area | Support |
|---|
| GI registration | Helping FPOs and artisans apply for GI tags |
| Post-GI work | Capacity building, branding, packaging, quality standards, market links, IPR awareness |
| FPO support | Equity grants, refinance, training |
| Livelihoods | Better incomes for farmers, artisans and producer groups |
Local examples
- Khaw Tai (Khamti Rice): chewy sticky rice from the Namsai area, grown by Khampti tribal farmers; GI-tagged in the 2024 batch of Arunachal registrations. The District Planning Officer said a GI is just a milestone, so success hinges on scaling output without losing quality.
- Namsai Fresh: a locally made ghee brand whose branding and promotion lifted demand; cited as a model for value addition and market linkage.
About BIRD
| Institute | Note |
|---|
| BIRD Lucknow | Premier training institute, set up 1983 |
| BIRD Kolkata | Eastern and North-Eastern Region, set up 1984 |
| BIRD Mangaluru | Third institute, set up November 1984 |
- Full form: Bankers Institute of Rural Development, promoted by NABARD.
- Mandate: training, research and consultancy in agriculture and rural development banking; clients include commercial banks, RRBs, cooperative banks, civil servants, NGOs and FPOs.
Exam angle
- BIRD is a NABARD-promoted institute; Lucknow is the apex one.
- Khaw Tai: GI-tagged sticky rice of Arunachal Pradesh.
- Post-GI steps: branding, packaging, quality standardisation, market linkage, IPR awareness.