‘The Prada Paradabhas’: Maharashtra Artisan meets CM Fadnavis on ‘Kolhapuri Chappal’ in Fashion Show; Increase GI violation issue. Bharat News

New Delhi: When a global luxury house like Prada went to the Milan runway, which looked infallible like Kolhapuri Chappell, which was worth more than Rs 2 lakh, it should not have been well seated with the artisans who did the original handcraft for generations.The artisans of Maharashtra have raised an alarm on what has been seen as a clear violation of the rights of their geographical signal (GI), when Prada depicted the chapel-style footwear without Kolhapur or his traditional craftsmen in his spring/Summer 2026 Mainswear Collection without any node.GI rights protect products that have a specific origin and have qualities or reputation associated with that place. In India, the GI tags are given under the geographical signals of the goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha MP Dhananjay Mahadik, who is from Kolhapur, met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday, leading a delegation of artisans. The group presented a letter to urge the state to call a cultural and commercial appropriation.Speaking to the news agency PTI, Mahadik said that the sandals shown by Prada are infallible Kolhapuri, and are being sold at Rs 1.7 lakh to Rs 2.10 lakh per pair.The BJP leader said, “We want Prada to give his product to Kolhapuri identity, and local artisans should get revenue. If Prada orders us, we can build for them. Kolhapuri brand will reach globally,” the BJP leader said.He said that with such cooperation, artisans will get both recognition and permanent income.Mahadik said that a public interest litigation (PIL) will be filed in the High Court, and he is demanding a meeting with the Union Commerce Minister with the Union Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to increase the matter at the national level.In his letter to the Chief Minister, Mahadik said that Kolhapuri Chappal received a GI tag from the Government of India in 2019 and the matching of Prada on 23 June lacks any reference for the source community.“This type of commercial investment not only violates the GI rules, but also threatens the livelihood and dignity of thousands of families involved in this traditional trade,” he wrote.Kolhapuri chappals, open-leg-leather sandals with hanging designs, came back in the 12th century, and traditionally handled in Kolhapur and nearby districts such as Sangli, Satara and Solapur.Mahadik has requested the state to raise the issue with the Center for immediate intervention. He also called for the formation of a protective structure for GI-tagged products at the state level and urged that artisans be given legal and financial assistance in cases of international misuse.He claimed that after backlash, Prada took pictures of sandals from his official website.