GJEPC attended a stakeholder consultation meeting on August 28, 2024, at Vanija Bhavan in New Delhi to discuss the implementation, benefits, potential, and challenges of introducing Geographical Indication (GI) specialised identifiers for existing Harmonized System (HS) codes for Indian GI products.
Dr. Himani Pande, IAS, Additional Secretary of the Department of Promotion of Industry & International Trade (DPIIT), convened the meeting, which included senior officials from the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) as well as stakeholders from several commodities. GJEPC played an important role in campaigning for the inclusion of GI in HS codes and highlighted its potential benefits. Mr. Siddhartha, COO of GJEPC, and Mr. Kaushik Ghosh, Assistant Director – Kolkata, GJEPC, represented the organization during the meeting.
In addition to the consultation, GJEPC top officials met with Mr. Amardeep Singh Bhatia, IAS, Secretary, DPIIT, to discuss the India Jewellery Park Mumbai (IJPM) project and to solicit support for the Gati Shakti program. Mr. Bhatia reaffirmed his office’s full cooperation and support, while also acknowledging the benefits of improved HS codes for Indian GI products.