Prada Kolhapuri chappal row | Two govt agencies officially hold GI tag for sandals

In June 2025, high-end brand Prada presented Kolhapuri-style sandals in its Men’s Spring Collection at Milan Fashion Week, pricing them at Rs 1.2 lakh without acknowledging the chappals’ Indian origin, artisans, or cultural significance, resulting in a major controversy.

Mumbai: Amid the Prada-Kolhapuri chappal row, Sant Rohidas Leather Industries and Charmakar Development Corporation Limited (LIDCOM) and Dr Babu Jagjivanram Leather Industries Development Corporation Limited (LIDKAR) on Friday jointly reaffirmed their position as the officially registered global geographical indication (GI) tag holders of the Kolhapuri chappal.

LIDCOM Managing Director Prerna Deshbhratar and LIDKAR Managing Director K M Vasundhara, emphasized that their collective mission goes beyond protecting the geographical indication. It is also aimed at safeguarding the rights of thousands of local leather artisans and firmly establishing this heritage on national and international platforms.

It is also aimed at safeguarding the rights of thousands of local leather artisans and firmly establishing this heritage on national and international platforms, they said.

It may be recalled, in June 2025, Prada presented Kolhapuri-style sandals in its Men’s Spring Collection at Milan Fashion Week, pricing them at Rs 1.2 lakh without acknowledging the chappals’ Indian origin, artisans, or cultural significance, it has turned into a major issue in Maharashtra.

Yuvraj Sambhaji Chhatrapati of Kolhapur, who is a descendent of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and iconic social reformer Rajarshi Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj, had also taken up the issue and slammed Prada S.p.A, the Italian luxury fashion house founded by Mario Prada.

The legacy of Kolhapuri chappals dates back to the 12th-century saint tradition and is closely associated with the progressive reforms of Rajarshi Shahu Maharaj in the 20th century.

The Kolhapuri chappal, originating from Maharashtra and Karnataka, has been granted the GI tag since 2019.

“In June 2025, the renowned Italian fashion brand Prada presented its Spring/Summer 2026 men’s collection. Observers noted that the leather sandals worn by a model in this show bore a striking resemblance to the GI-tagged traditional Kolhapuri chappals from Maharashtra. This resemblance sparked strong reactions on social media platforms and among traditional artisan communities,” according to the joint statement by LIDCOM-LIDKAR.

Following the incident, a group of lawyers filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Bombay High Court, alleging that Prada’s use of a design protected under GI registration constituted a violation of intellectual property laws.

On July 16, 2025, the court dismissed the PIL, stating that in such matters, only the registered GI holders—namely, the leather industry development corporations of Maharashtra and Karnataka—are the legitimate stakeholders and hence, solely entitled to initiate any civil legal proceedings.“Against this backdrop, LIDCOM and LIDKAR have jointly reaffirmed their position as the officially registered global GI holders of the Kolhapuri chappal.

In their joint statement, the corporations clarified that no individual or organization other than themselves is authorized to engage in any discussion, negotiation, or representation with Prada or similar international entities.