Piyush Goyal Felicitates J&K Ranji Team for Breakthrough Victory Over Eight-Time Champions Karnataka

Piyush Goyal yesterday announced that all intellectual property (IP) registrations related to sports—including trademarks, copyrights, patents, designs, traditional knowledge, and geographical indications—will be exempt from fees for a period of three years, effective immediately. The announcement was made while addressing the World Intellectual Property Day celebrations in New Delhi, themed “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!”.

The waiver, announced as a special drive to promote innovation in the sports ecosystem, will apply across all categories of IP. The Minister also directed that a notification be issued with immediate effect and highlighted that, in addition to the fee exemption, the government will extend facilitation support under existing schemes to assist innovators, students, artisans, and stakeholders in filing and securing IP rights, thereby easing their journey into the IP ecosystem.

The valedictory session of the programme featured the felicitation of the Jammu and Kashmir Ranji Trophy team by Shri Piyush Goyal for their historic performance. The team was honoured for securing a landmark victory after 67 years, including a notable win against an eight-time champion team, Karnataka. The achievement was highlighted as a moment of pride, reflecting the growing sporting potential of Jammu and Kashmir and serving as an inspiration for young athletes across the region.

The Minister noted that the development comes in the backdrop of sustained efforts by the Government to promote sports and create new opportunities in Jammu and Kashmir. He highlighted that increasing investments in infrastructure, coupled with expanding avenues in tourism and industry, are enabling greater participation of youth in diverse fields, including sports. The victory was described as a signal of renewed confidence and opportunity, with young athletes from the region expected to excel at national and international levels in the years ahead.

The Minister underscored the importance of the Kashmir willow cricket bat, noting that it represents India’s craftsmanship and IP strength. He highlighted that it is among the first and possibly the only sports-related product from India to have received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, and emphasized the need to promote its manufacturing within Jammu and Kashmir to enhance its global presence.

The Minister called for the development of sports manufacturing clusters in regions such as Jammu and Kashmir, along with Meerut, highlighting their potential to emerge as key hubs in the sports goods sector. He stressed the need to significantly boost domestic production of sports goods, including bats, balls, hockey equipment, training aids, and gym equipment, to strengthen indigenous manufacturing capabilities and support local value chains.

Focusing on Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister underlined the opportunity to leverage regional strengths to develop specialised manufacturing ecosystems, particularly in sports goods, which can enhance local livelihoods and position the region more prominently in national and global markets. He also encouraged innovation in sports formats and suggested that such innovations should be examined for appropriate intellectual property protection to ensure value creation and support the broader innovation-led growth of the sports sector

The Minister urged innovators, students, and stakeholders to convert every new idea into an IP asset at the earliest and seek registration to secure ownership and value. He also highlighted the availability of government support mechanisms to assist applicants in the IP registration process.

Highlighting the economic potential of sports, Shri Goyal noted the significant growth in valuation of franchise-based cricket teams over the past 18 years, reflecting the transformational journey of sports driven by innovation and commercialization.