UNIT-3

INDUSTRIAL DESIGNS

I. Introduction

When consumers decide to buy an article choosing from an array of competing goods they are
influenced in their choice not only by the utility aspect of the goods but also significantly by
the aesthetic aspect – the visual appeal of the article. Design imparts the visual appeal to an
object and it serves to differentiate it from other products in the same category. For the
purpose of this chapter the term design is the same as industrial design. An industrial design is
the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article which is generally mass-produced and useful. It
may consist of three- dimensional features such as shape or surface or two-dimensional
features such as patterns, line or colors (or their combination) applied on an article by any
industrial process or means which in the finished article are judged solely by the eyes; it does
not include any mode or principle of construction. If a design cannot be applied to an article, it
would fall under artistic works and more appropriately form the subject matter of copyright.
Some designs may qualify for protection as trademark.

The object of Design registration is to see that the creator of a profitable design should be
rewarded by the exclusive use of it seeking to reconcile it with the other objective of removing
impediments to the free use of available designs. In India, the law of design protection was
contained in the Designs Act, 1911, which has now been repealed by the Designs Act, 2000
referred to as the Act in the following text.

What is an Industrial Design?

In everyday language, an Industrial Design generally refers to a product’s overall form and
function. An armchair is said to have a “good industrial design” when it is comfortable to sit
in and we like the way it looks. For businesses, designing a product generally implies
developing the product’s functional and aesthetic features taking into consideration issues
such as the product’s marketability, the costs of manufacturing or the ease of transport,
storage, repair and disposal.

From an intellectual property law perspective, however, an industrial design refers only to the

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ornamental or aesthetic aspects of a product. In other words, it refers only to the appearance of

an armchair. Although the design of a product may have technical or functional features,

industrial design, as a category of intellectual property law, refers only to the aesthetic nature

of a finished product, and is distinct from any technical or functional aspects.

Industrial design is relevant to a wide variety of products of industry, fashion and handicrafts
from technical and medical instruments to watches, jewellery, and other luxury items; from
household products, toys, furniture and electrical appliances to cars and architectural
structures; From textile designs to sports equipment. Industrial design is also important in
relation to packaging, containers and “get–up” of products.

As a general rule, an industrial design consists of: three-dimensional features, such as the
shape of a product, two-dimensional features, such as ornamentation, patterns, lines or color
of a product; or a combination of one or more such features.
An industrial design is the ornamental or aesthetic aspect of an article. The design may consist
of three-dimensional features, such as the shape or surface of an article, or of two-dimensional
features, such as patterns, lines or color. Industrial designs are applied to a wide variety of
products of industry and handicraft: from technical and medical instruments to watches,
jewelry, and other luxury items; from housewares and electrical appliances to vehicles and
architectural structures; from textile designs to leisure goods. To be protected under most
national laws, an industrial design must be non-functional. This means that an industrial
design is primarily of an aesthetic nature and any technical features of the article to which it is
applied are not protected. Figure below shows some of the example of industrial design.

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 Figure 1: A B c and D are some examples of Industrial Design

II.Features of Industrial Design

Enterprises often devote a significant amount of time and resources to enhancing the design
appeal of their products. New and original designs are often created to:

1. Customize products to appeal to specific market segments:

Small modifications to the design of some products (e.g. a watch) may make them
suitable for different age groups, cultures or social groups. While the main function of a watch
remains the same, children and adults generally have very different tastes in design.

2. Create a new niche market:

In a competitive marketplace, many companies seek to create a niche market by

introducing creative designs for their new products to differentiate them from those of their

competitors. This could be the case for ordinary items such as locks, shoes, cups and saucers

to potentially expensive items such as jewellery, computers or cars.

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3. Strengthen brands:
Creative designs are often also combined with distinctive trademarks to enhance the

distinctiveness of a company’s brand(s). Many companies have successfully created or

redefined their brand image through a strong focus on product design.

How extensive is industrial design protection?

Generally, industrial design protection is limited to the country in which protection is
granted. Under the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Deposit of Industrial
Designs, a WIPO-administered treaty, a procedure for an international registration is offered.
An applicant can file a single international deposit either with WIPO or the national office of a
country which is party to the treaty. The design will then be protected in as many member
countries of the treaty as the applicant wishes.

Why protect industrial designs?

An industrial design adds value to a product. It makes a product attractive and appealing to
customers, and may even be its unique selling point. So protecting valuable designs should be
a crucial part of the business strategy of any designer or manufacturer. By protecting an
industrial design through its registration at the national or regional intellectual property office,
the owner obtains the exclusive right to prevent its unauthorized copying or imitation by
others. This makes business sense as it improves the competitiveness of a business and often
brings in additional revenue in one or more of the following ways:

• By registering a design you are able to prevent it from being copied and imitated by
competitors, and thereby strengthen your competitive position.
• Registering a valuable design contributes to obtaining a fair return on investment made
in creating and marketing the relevant product, and thereby improves your profits.
• Industrial designs are business assets that can increase the commercial value of a
company and its products. The more successful a design, the higher is its value to the
company.
• A protected design may also be licensed (or sold) to others for a fee. By licensing it,
you may be able to enter markets that you are otherwise unable to serve.
• Registration of industrial designs encourages fair competition and honest trade

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 practices, which, in turn, promote the production of a diverse range of aesthetically
attractive products.
When an industrial design is protected, the owner – the person or entity that has
registered the design – is assured an exclusive right against unauthorized copying or imitation
of the design by third parties. This helps to ensure a fair return on investment. An effective
system of protection also benefits consumers and the public at large, by promoting fair
competition and honest trade practices, encouraging creativity, and promoting more
aesthetically attractive products. Protecting industrial designs helps economic development,
by encouraging creativity in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, as well as in traditional
arts and crafts. They contribute to the expansion of commercial activities and the export of
national products. Industrial designs can be relatively simple and inexpensive to develop and
protect. They are reasonably accessible to small and medium-sized enterprises as well as to
individual artists and craftsmen, in both industrialized and developing countries.

Protecting Industrial Designs

How do you obtain protection for industrial designs? In most countries, an industrial design
must be registered in order to be protected under industrial design law.

To register an industrial design you must file an application at the national intellectual
property (IP) office of the country where you are seeking protection (a list of web sites of IP).

A note needs to be made for some countries or common economic areas such as the European
Union, where recent legislation has made it possible to obtain limited industrial design
protection for unregistered designs for three years from the date on which the design has been
published in the European Union.

The unregistered design provides companies with the opportunity to test market their products

before going through the effort and expense of registering all designs, many of which may not

succeed in the marketplace. In addition, some designs may remain on the market for a very

short time, especially in the fashion industry. For such products, the unregistered design

provides a good alternative. However, once the product is manufactured, designers have up to

12 months in which to register it. The protection provided to an unregistered design is limited,

in that it is more difficult to enforce than for a registered design, and shorter, as it lasts for

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three years as opposed to the 25 years provided to registered designs in the European Union.

While this guide focuses mainly on registered industrial designs, it is important to point out

that, in some countries, there may be alternative ways of protecting industrial designs:

• Depending on the particular national law and the kind of design, one such alternative
for protecting designs is copyright law. Copyright generally provides exclusive rights
for literary and artistic works. As some designs may, in some countries, be
considered works of art or applied art, copyright protection may apply and may
represent an attractive option for SMEs.
• In addition, in some countries, if an industrial design functions as a trademark in the
marketplace, then it may be protected as a three-dimensional mark. This may be the
case when the shape of the product or its packaging are considered to be distinctive.
• Laws on unfair competition may also protect a company’s industrial design in some
countries from imitation by competitors.
For more details on protecting your design under copyright, trademark or unfair
competition laws, see Section 5.

What rights are provided by Industrial Design Protection?

When an Industrial Design is protected by registration, the owner is granted the right to
prevent unauthorized copying or imitation by third parties. This includes the right to exclude
all others from making, offering, importing, exporting or selling any product in which the
design is incorporated or to which it is applied. The law and practice of a relevant country or
region determine the actual scope of protection of the registered design.

Qualifying for industrial design protection:

To qualify for protection an industrial design must:

 Comply with the definition of a design under the applicable law of Seychelles.
 be new – i.e., no identical design has previously been made available to the public. Designs
are deemed identical if their features differ only in immaterial details.
 be original – the design must have been independently created by the designer and not a
copy or imitation of an existing design. Designs are not original if they do not significantly

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differ from known designs or combinations of known design features.
 have individual character – meaning that the overall impression that a design produces on an
informed user differs from the overall impression produced on such a user by any other design
which has already been made available to the public.
A product does not have to be produced on an industrial scale in order for it to be a design.
The concept covers all products without limitation as to production method or volume of
production. Designs protect all applied art.

What can be registered as an Industrial Design?

As a general rule, to be able to be registered, a design must meet one or more of the following
basic requirements, depending on the law of the country: The design must be “new”. A design
is considered to be new if no identical design has been made available to the public before the
date of filing, or the application for registration.
• The design must be “original”. A design is considered original if it has been
independently created by the designer and is not a copy or an imitation of existing
designs.
• The design must have “individual character”. This requirement is met if the overall
impression produced by a design on an informed user differs from the overall
impression produced on such a user by any earlier design which has been made
available to the public.

Traditionally, protectable designs relate to manufactured products such as the shape of a shoe,
the design of an earring or the ornamentation on a teapot. In the digital world, however,
protection is gradually extending in some countries to a number of other products and types of
design. These include electronic desktop icons generated by computer codes, typefaces, the
graphic display on computer monitors and mobile telephones, etc.

What cannot be protected by Industrial Design rights?

Designs that are generally barred from registration in many countries include the following:

• Designs that do not meet the requirements of novelty, originality and/or individual
character (as explained above).
• Designs that are considered to be dictated exclusively by the technical function of a
product; such technical or functional design features may be protected, depending on

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 the facts of each case, by other IP rights (e.g. patents, utility models or trade secrets).
• Designs incorporating protected official symbols or emblems (such as the national
flag).
• Designs which are considered to be contrary to public order or morality.

In addition, it is important to note that some countries exclude handicrafts from design
protection, as industrial design law in these countries requires that the product to which an
industrial design is applied is “an article of manufacture” or that it can be replicated by
“industrial means”.

Depending on the national legislation there may be further restrictions on what cannot be

registered as a design. It is advisable to consult an IP agent or the relevant national IP office.

Registration and prohibitions Criteria for Registration

 To be entitled to protection as intellectual property in India, a design is required to be

registered with the Controller of Designs. The Controller General of Patents, Designs
and Trade Marks is also the Controller of Designs.

 To be eligible for registration, a design must be new or original, must not have been
disclosed to the public, must be significantly distinguishable from known designs or
their combinations and must not comprise or contain scandalous or obscene matter.

 The novelty of a design is judged on the worldwide basis. A design not meeting any of
these conditions shall not be registered.

Registration of Designs

The Controller may, on the application of any person claiming to be the proprietor of any new
or original design not previously published in any country and which is not contrary to public
order or morality, register the design after due consideration. On getting the application for
registration, the Controller may appoint an examiner to check whether the design is
registerable under the Act and submit a report to the Controller. The application for
registration should be filed in the prescribed form along with the prescribed fees. For the
purpose of registration, goods are divided into 32 classes. A design is registered only in one of
these classes. The registration may be in respect of any or all articles of a class. If a question

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arises as to the class in which an article falls, the decision of the Controller in this regard will
be final. If the proprietor of a design registered for an article in a class wants to register it for
more articles in the same class, his request to that effect shall not be refused nor shall the
registration thereof invalidated, on the ground that the design is not new or original but such
request will not extend the period of protection beyond the first registration.

After the registration of a design, the Controller publishes the application and the

representation of the article to which the design is applied in the official Gazette and opens it

for public inspection. The Controller then grants a certificate after the registration of the

design and enters the same in the Registry of Designs. If an application has been refused, the

aggrieved person may appeal to the High Court.

Where an application for a design has been abandoned or refused, the application and any
drawings, photographs, tracings, representations or specimens left in connection with the
application shall not at any time be open to public inspection or be published by the
Controller.

The Controller, if satisfied, has the power to substitute another person in place of the original

applicant on a claim by such person that he is entitled to an undivided share or has an interest

in the design. Thereafter, the Controller may direct that the application shall proceed in the

names of the claimants or in the names of the claimants and the applicant as the case may be.

The Controller shall grant a certificate of registration to the proprietor of the design when
registered. During the existence of copyright in a design any person can inspect the design on
making an application giving particulars to identify the design and paying the prescribed
fee.The names and addresses of the proprietors of registered designs, notifications of
assignments and transmissions of registered designs and any other matter that may be
prescribed shall be entered in a register of designs kept at the Patent Office. The Register may
be maintained wholly or partly on computer, floppies or diskettes, subject to safeguards. The
register of design is the prima facie evidence of any matter authorised to be entered therein.

Every register is open to inspection of the public. Any person can obtain certified copies of
any entry in the register on making necessary request with prescribed fee.

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Steps for filing an application

1. The already existing designs are searched.

2. A representation showing the exact article on which the registration is applied is
prepared.

3. The appropriate class for the design is identified from the internationally accepted 32
classes of designs.
4. Evidence of novelty in the design is prepared.
5. A priority date for Convention Countries is claimed.

6. The required fees should accompany application. Presently the fee for registration is
Rs. 1000 and for renewal, it is Rs. 2000.
7. After completing the above procedures the application can be filed either in the Design
Office in Kolkata or any branch of the Patent Office in Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai.
8. After the examination, if demanded, additional information required by the Design
Office should be submitted as soon as possible.
9. To facilitate easy communication and registration full and correct addresses should be
furnished.

Cancellation of Design

Any person interested may file an application to the Controller for cancellation of the
registration of a design on any of the following grounds:

 That the design has been previously registered in India; or

 That it has been published in India or in any other country prior to the date of
registration; or
 That the design is not a new or original design; or
 That the design is not registerable under this Act; or
 That it is not a design as defined in the Act.
An appeal shall lie to the High Court against the order of the Controller. The Controller may at
any time refer any such petition to the High Court.

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III Procedure for obtaining design protection

Steps involved in design registration under the Design Act, 2000

Prior art work

The applicant will conduct a search and find out whether any similar design has been
previously registered or not. There are various databases paid as well as unpaid to help the
applicant for search such as–IP India’s online public design search platform and WIPO’S
Global design database. If the applicant is unable to find the number of a similar design, then
Form no – 7 is filed along with Rs.1000.

Representation and classification of designs

The applicant needs to recognize the exact class of design from the Locarno classification
based on the function of the article. And a representation/diagram should be prepared on white
A4 size white paper and must indicate the details of the design and applicant clearly. If the
applicant does not prepare it in A4 size then the portal won’t accept it and can delay the
application. Applicant’s details would be the name, address, and name of the article on which
design has been applied. If the applicant is a foreigner, then he/she shall require to give an
address for services in India.

Statement of novelty

Statement of Novelty is the most important point of an application. It will be stated below the
representation sheet. This will enable a speedier examination of the design and registration
process. According to the given below statement of novelty, the applicant can draft this
statement:-“The novelty resides in the shape and configuration of the ‘XYZ design’ as
illustrated.”

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Disclaimer

Often the design of the article is confused with a trademark. Thus, disclaimer becomes
essential to convey that under this registration, no claim of use is made to any trademark.
Also, it is essential to specify if there are any powers of attorney. Following is the sample
draft of the disclaimer:-“No claim is made by virtue of this registration to any right to the
exclusive use of the words, letters, nor of trademarks appearing in the representation.”

Claim a priority date

If the application is made in conventional countries or countries in which are members of the
intergovernmental organizations, then in that case, the applicant can claim a priority date in
India. This shall be the date of filing the application in any such country (provided application
must be made within 6 months in India.)

Payment of fees

Payment of fees can be done by cheque or draft payable at Kolkata head office or in cash. The
application fee for registration is Rs. 1000 and Rs. 2000 for renewal.

Other initial processing of application

At this stage, an applicant has allotted a registration number when an application is filed with
all related documents and fees attached therewith. The application can be filed either at the
Design Office, Kolkata or any of its branches in Delhi, Mumbai or Chennai. Then a
substantive examination is conducted by the examination officer and the report is presented
within 2 months.

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 Facing objections

If an applicant receives any formal objections, then the applicant is given an opportunity to
amend those objections by filing a written response. If the examination officer is not satisfied
with the written reply, then an opportunity for a hearing will be given. If the applicant still
fails, the design is declared non-registrable. All this is done within 6 months from the date of
filing.

Final stage of registration and publication

If all stages are cleared by the applicant, then the application will be registered and published
in the patent’s office and a certificate of registration will be issued. Registration of design will
be valid for a period of 10 years and can be renewed for another 5 years. All this process will
be completed within 8 to 12 months.

Procedure for registration of design in India

Here’s the process for registration of industrial design in India.

 Check for previous registration: See if your design is not one that has been
registered previously. For that, you will have to make an application to the Patent Office in
Kolkata. It is ideal to register designs quickly since the system works based on the first-to-file
rule.
 Application: Following this, make an application where you specify details like
name and address, whether the applicant is an individual or company, description of the article
and its class, claim of novelty etc. You may also have to enclose drawings or images of the
article.
 Scrutiny and approval: The Patent Office later scrutinizes it. If it is in order, it
gets accepted and registered, and then a certificate of registration gets issued to the applicant.
After the filing of design, the article, along with other bibliographic data, gets notified in the
Patent Office Journal, published every Friday. The entire concept could take around a year in
case of complications.

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 Registration of Designs: The registered design then enters the Register of
Designs, a document maintained by The Patent Office, Kolkata. It includes the design number,
class number, date of filing (in this country) and reciprocity date (if any), name and address of
the proprietor and such other matters.
 Duration of the design: The term of the design is of 10 years, which can be
extended for up to five years.
 Priority claim: India is one of the signatories to the Paris Convention, so the
provisions for the right of priority are applicable. This claim allows you to file another
application in a different country for a similar invention or trademark, relevant as of the date
of filing the first application.
 Design infringement: In case of design infringement, the registered proprietor can
turn it into a legal matter to stop exploitation and to claim any damages. The violator is liable
to pay a sum not exceeding INR 25,000 for every damage.
As per the process, the registration of design gives the owner specific legal rights to bring an
action against those who infringe the design right. This registration is critical if you want to
protect your intellectual property.

IV. What is a design infringement?

The owner of a registered design right may exclusively work the registered design or any
design similar to it. If a third party manufactures or sells, etc., the registered design or any
similar design for commercial purposes (meaning that private or domestic use is excluded)
and if the third party is not licensed to do so by the owner of the registered design right, such
activity constitutes a design right infringement.

The details of a registered design right are specified in the request submitted in the application
for design registration and the attached drawings. However, because the scope of a design
right extends to the registered design and any similar design, the design’s similarity (whether
it is similar or not) is an issue for the determination of design infringement.

In making an actual judgment regarding similarity, it is common for two designs to be deemed
similar after comparing the two designs and identifying resemblance:

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 1. the overall dominant constitution and the specific constitution of both designs;

2. the feature (characteristic creation, the outstanding part when the article is being
used, etc.) of the designs;

3. a common dominant constitution in both designs;

4. Only a slightly different dominant constitution in both designs and the difference is
not notable (i.e., the difference is a well-known constitution).
As per the Design Act, 2000, the piracy of registered design falls under the encroachment of
design. Section 22 of the Designs Act, 2000, mentioned that any fraudulent or obvious
copying of a design that has already been registered without the consent of the registered
owner or proprietor of the registered design is unlawful. The particular section also prohibits
importing any substance or material, which is in close resemblance to a design already
registered.

Remedies for design infringement

As per the Design Act of 2000, the liabilities of the one who infringes the design is mentioned
under Section 22(2) of the Act. It is the same section that provides the remedies to the
registered owner of the Design. Therefore, the liability of the infringing party as per Section
22(2) of the aforesaid Act is as follows:

 Under Section 22(2)(a) of the Design Act, the one who infringes shall pay a sum
(not exceeding) Rs. 25,000/ (Rupees Twenty-five thousand only) for every breach
contravened. The total amount shall sum up to (not exceeding) Rs. 50,000 (Rupees
Fifty thousand only). The above amount is for the recovery of the Infringement.

 Under Section 22(2)(b), it is mentioned that the owner of the registered Design is
vested with certain rights wherein it can call for recovery of damages and make the
infringing party liable.
In Whirlpool of India Ltd. v. Videocon Industries, the Bombay High Court arrived at a
judgment as to the plan of Section 22 of the Designs Act, which allows for actions against
“any person” in this section. A registered design can be eliminated, or registration placed

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aside, or a registered owner can be restrained by order of injunction from practicing the use of
such design either by controller following Section 19 of Act or following Section 22 of Act by
High Court under the conditions in a case. Suppose a certified proprietor does not apply his
design to an item for sale or connected with the before-mentioned sale. In that case, another
registered proprietor cannot have recourse to section 22 of the Act.

Therefore, the remedy under Section 22 of the Act was only available to use impugned
Design. On an unadorned reading of Section 22 of Act and sub-sections (1) to (3) in distinct, it
is indicated that the suit for infringement of a registered design extends against any person that
would incorporate a registered proprietor. Therefore, a registered proprietor of a design can,
under Section 22 of the Act, file a suit for infringement against a registered proprietor of a
design. The reason behind forcing liability upon the infringers is to cover for the loss that the
registered owner suffers. The registered owner also holds the responsibility to mark all the
articles under registered design to take the necessary steps in the further process of
infringement.

 Section 55 of the Copyright Act of 1957 provides the scope of civil remedies
available on the proprietor’s registered work. It helps to seek remedies, claim
damages or file a suit for injunction against anyone who infringes the registered
article under the Act.

 The claimant also enjoys the entitlement along with profits gained by the infringing
party upon the infringed design.
If in any circumstance, the registered proprietor establishes a prima facie case under the head
“Balance of Convenience” in its favor, then it can seek an interlocutory injunction
under Order 39, Rules 1 and 2 of CPC.

 As per the remedies provided under Section 53 of the Copyright Act of 1957, the
person in charge of the registered design can stop importing the products and
confiscate any such product that holds the power to infringe the rights of the
registered person.

 The criminal remedies are provided under Section 63 of the Copyright Act of 1957.
It can be availed that the registered person’s work if infringed with due intention,

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 then the seeker shall be punished with imprisonment for a minimum of six months
extended up to three years. (along with fine ranging from 50,000 INR to 2,00,000
INR)

 Section 63A of the Copyright Act, 1957 lays out punishment on second and
subsequent crime wherein the registered proprietor can avail criminal remedies.
The punishment shall hold the wrongdoer guilty and liable for imprisonment for a
minimum of one year which can be further extended to three years with a fine
ranging from 1,00,000 INR to 2,00,000 INR.

Who can claim the remedy for design infringement?

Section 55 of the Copyright Act of 1957 provides the scope of civil remedies available on the
proprietor’s registered work. It helps to seek remedies, claim damages or file a suit for
injunction against anyone who infringes the registered article under the Act. The claimant also
enjoys the entitlement along with profits gained by the infringing party upon the infringed
design. Any of the following amongst, proprietors of a registered design, legal heirs, or joint
proprietor can see remedy under design infringement.

Therefore, in the case of Carlsberg Breweries v Som Distilleries and Breweries Ltd, in a
judgment dated 14 December 2018, the Delhi High Court upheld the maintainability of a
composite suit for design infringement and passing off. A plaintiff can join two causes of
action:

 infringement by the defendant of the plaintiff’s design; and

 passing off by the defendant of the larger trade dress of the plaintiff’s goods or
articles.
The judgment has affirmed that a remedy for passing off can be directed if the said design is
not working as a trademark and if the remedy of passing off is demanded, the larger trade
dress infringement or any other similar infringement. The court also noted that when the claim
for design infringement is prima facie weak, the court can grant aid to the plaintiff in the
manner of passing-off action.

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V. Case Study

1. Enhancing the global competitiveness of the Indian Bicycle sector

INDIA

The bicycle industry upgrading project in India aimed to build global competitiveness of
this sector through a series of capacity building initiatives, channelled through the industry’s
nodal technical institution and industry associations. In order to be globally competitive, the
Indian bicycle industry must prioritize the production of aesthetically and technically
advanced bicycle models. UNIDO introduced capacity building programmes on e-bike design,
global design trends, key design parameters and geometries, design targets, ergonomics,
components’ interface and advanced tools such as computational fluid dynamics and finite
element analysis. These activities have also involved the design of the tools, jigs and fixtures
as well as special purpose machines to achieve overall design targets using 3D design software
for prototype development as well as product-testing simulations.

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2. Technological and enterprise upgrading of agro-chemicals and
agricultural machinery production sector

CUBA

UNIDO supported the development of a complex design of a new liquid fertilizer

production plant, while also establishing the full production cycle. The project supported the
industrial design development for agricultural machinery, such as the local design of liquid
fertilizer sprayers adapted to the needs of Cuban agricultural sector. These designs represent a
strategically important contribution to food security in Cuba based on efficient marketing and
branding approaches, thereby filling the long-standing gap in fertilizer production and
addressing the needs of growing tourism industry.

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3. Industrial modernization and competitiveness improvement of carpet
weaving, embroidery and textile sector

TAJIKISTAN

UNIDO experience includes projects focusing on market-oriented designs in light

industries in East Europe and Central Asia. UNIDO supported the industrial upgrading of pilot
enterprises in Tajikistan in productivity and quality improvement, development of new
designs for home textiles, accessories and carpet collections, and improving access to the
local, regional and international markets. Hundreds of experts, mostly women, were pulled
from the margins of society, acquiring and strengthening their skills through newly introduced
training opportunities. Numerous contracts were signed with leading domestic and
international hotel, restaurant, retail chains and other partners, generating jobs and higher
incomes.

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