aurangabad maharashtra has almost 31 registered gi products and the list includes the resplendent paithani sarees from aurangabad creamy custard apples from beed and the delicious kesar mangoes grown in marathwada among others however despite their gi status these products have to fight for their place in a market that is flooded with cheaper andor bogus alternatives that often hijack the branding of genuine items now following finance minister nirmala sitharamans budget announcement on unity malls the stakeholders feel the problems faced by the producerssellers of the gi products may finally be addresseddinesh malwe a manufacturer and seller of the famous paithani sarees said a unity mall would help promote the sale of authentic sarees from paithan paithani silk sarees have the gi tag but the sale of bogus silk sarees branded as paithani is still rampant the genuine paithani silk business is facing survival issues because of such practices we hope the unity mall concept will address this problem and give a new lease of life to the business he said trimbak pathrikar a grower and promoter of kesar mangoes said the unity mall concept if it does become a reality would ensure proper branding of the mangoes kesar mangoes are exported to the us and some gulf countries however the mango variety still does not have many takers within india the proposed unity mall would change that he said marathwada also has other products that have secured the gi tag including sweet lime from jalna khoya and osmanabadi goat from osmanabad and tamarind from laturganesh hingmire a legal expert who is credited with securing of gi tag for 49 items in maharashtra alone said framers and indigenous communities will be benefited the initiative would promote cultural entrepreneurship associated with gi productsin the 2023 union budget finance minister nirmala sitharaman stated that each state will be encouraged to set up a unity mall in the state capital or the most popular tourist destination of that state it will be done for the promotion and sale of one district one product items gitagged products local handicrafts and cultural specialities of the region