KVIC secures trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE and Mexico to protect “Khadi” brand

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is taking big strides to protect the identity of “Khadi” globally, and as such, has secured trademark registrations in Bhutan, UAE and Mexico. KVIC’s trademark applications are pending in 40 countries across the world, including Sri Lanka, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Brazil and Singapore.

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, in a statement said, it is for the first time in the history of KVIC that sustained efforts have been made in the last five years to protect the brand “Khadi”, which was given to use by none other than Mahatma Gandhi.

Vinai Kumar Saxena, KVIC Chairman, said these trademark registrations will prevent any misuse of the brand name globally. “In recent years, Khadi’s popularity has seen a massive growth in India and abroad due to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal to adopt Khadi,” he said. “It has therefore, become very important for KVIC to protect the identity of Khadi and safeguard the interest of consumers and lakhs of Khadi artisans who are manufacturing genuine products.”

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It obtained the latest trademark registration in Bhutan on 9^th July, and on June 28, KVIC was granted the registration in UAE, and in December 2020 in Mexico.  The registration of the trademark in UAE is a milestone, as it’s the first time registration for the brand in a Gulf country.

Khadi had secured registrations for the word “KHADI” in six countries – Germany, UK, Australia, China, Russia, and EU. In these countries, trademark registrations were granted in certain classes. KVIC has got registrations in various classes that pertain to Khadi fabric, Khadi readymade garments and village industry products like Khadi soaps, Khadi cosmetics, Khadi incense sticks among others.