India, June 29 -- In a globalised, hyperconnected world, how do we protect local art, craft, cultural markers, and related intellectual property from appropriation by foreign commercial interests - via "inspiration" - without any of the gains flowing to the artisans and craftsmen? This is the question at the centre of the latest instance of distinctly Indian artisanry being appropriated by a multi-billion Western fashion-house. Prada recently featured footwear that was virtually indistinguishable from Kolhapuri chappals. What was passed off as the fashion label's creative output, has been the signature product of craftsmen of the Kolhapur region for centuries now, acquiring its GI tag in 2019.

Indian art, artisanry, and crafts have had m...