Guwahati, Sept. 18: Genuine muga silk products will be available for Puja shoppers at the two-day exhibition on Muga Silk of Assam - a registered geographical indication exhibition-cum-sale of GI-tagged products at the Assam Textile Institute in Ambari here from Wednesday.

The exhibition, by authorised GI users of muga silk, is organised by the Patent Information Centre of the Assam Science Technology and Environment Council (Astec).

It will include information about GI and authorised users, exhibit genuine and counterfeit muga silk products to educate the people, display purity-testing methods and conduct interactions among producers, students, fashion designers, government officials and experts.

A geographical indication is a word, logo or combination of a famous geographical area that is used in agricultural, natural or manufactured goods to identify them as originating from that geographical area. Such goods have a special quality or characteristic or reputation based upon the climatic or production characteristics unique to that geographical area. A GI is used by an authorised user on the goods that he deals with during the course of business.

In India, a GI is legislated by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The Geographical Indications Registry is located in Chennai.

The registered GIs of Assam are Muga Silk of Assam, Assam (Orthodox) tea, Tezpur Litchi and Assam Karbi Anglong Ginger. The muga silk GI was acquired in 2006 by Astec and it seeks to provide protection for silkworm, cocoon, thread, yarn, fabric and end products.

'The producers of Muga Silk of Assam can use the GI as its unique selling proposition (USP) in the state, national and international markets. GI products are original products from a geographical area and can do away with duplicity and bring trust to that geographical area and the people. A tourist purchasing a muga silk shirt from a place in Assam, which bears the GI logo, can be sure that the shirt is made of pure muga silk. GI should be implemented properly so that unscrupulous people cannot sell tussar-coloured fabric as muga,' said the nodal officer of the Patent Information Centre, Ranjit Kumar Barman.

There are 200 registered GI users for muga silk in the state and the applications of 16 more are in the process, said another Astec official.

An authorised GI user from Boko, Chandan Keshab said, 'Purchase of genuine GI-tagged muga silk will benefit the weaver. If the weavers do not get a proper price, they will stop the production of muga, leading to death of the industry.'