Venkatagiri sari industry is suffering since powerlooms in South India are copying their designs and bringing out them quickly to market. And the impact is despite Venkatgiri sari receiving Geographical Indication tag some six years ago.

These handwoven saris are backed by the 300-year-old history created by artisan cluster situated in Nellore district, which earlier was under the dynasty of Venkatagiri. The sari is made of pure cotton adorning elaborate zari work using gold and silver on borders. The craftsmanship of the weavers was recognised and the sari became the 18th Indian sari to get Geographical Indication (GI) tag from the registrar of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

The GI tag is supposed to protect the product against misuse of designs, while boosting exports to other countries. However, due to lack of marketing and publicity support from the government wings, weavers of Venkatagiri sari have not been able to increase sales. In fact, they are now victims of design replication by powerloom clusters.