Ponduru Khadi, loved by Mahatma Gandhi 100 years ago, has received a rare honor. The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry has granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Khadi products from Ponduru, a town 20 km from Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu shared his joy on social media, saying this tag will raise the demand for Ponduru Khadi. He had asked for the GI tag in Parliament earlier. GI tagging is an important intellectual property right. It gives special recognition to products from a unique place. In 2020, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited Ponduru and promised GI tagging. Now, the Government of India officially confirmed it on Friday. This tag will help preserve and promote Ponduru’s traditional handspun and handwoven cotton fabric.