on Sunday called for greater skilling and market access for the artisan communities and investments in design and branding of their products, stressing that getting a geographical indication tag alone won’t be enough.Kharge’s comment comes in the backdrop of the recent developments over the Kholapuri chappals, where Italian luxury fashion house Prada acknowledged, after initially giving no credit, that sandals featured in its latest summer collection were inspired by the traditional Indian footwear.
The minister also pointed out that while these chappals are commonly associated with Maharashtra, a large number of the artisans who craft them hail from Karnataka.
Very few people know where they truly come from, said Kharge, also the minister for information technology and biotechnology. Artisans from Athani, Nippani, Chikkodi, Raibag, and other parts of Belagavi, Bagalkot and Dharwad in Karnataka have been making these chappals for generations. They have traditionally sold them in nearby towns, especially Kolhapur, which eventually became the default market, and over time, the brand, he said.
“We saw how Maharashtra was pushing for sole GI tag rights over Kolhapuris and through LIDKAR (a Karnataka government subsidiary), we contested this and fought to ensure the state’s artisans were not left out,” Kharge wrote on microblogging site X.
The GI tag was granted jointly to four districts each in Karnataka and Maharashtra. “This was never about a contest between the two states but about preserving our shared heritage and giving our artisans the legal recognition they deserve,” he said.“When international fashion houses adopt our designs, it is our artisans whose names, work, and legacy must be showcased — not sidelined,” he added.While Prada has acknowledged the Indian roots of the design and signalled openness to
artisan collaboration, Kharge said the artisans don’t just deserve credit. They deserve better prices, wider exposure, and the chance to build lasting, dignified livelihoods from their craft, he said.
