The term Geographical Indication (GI) is used to denote a link between the quality characteristics, reputation or other characteristics of a good and its origin. In general, GIs are a form of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs). However, they differ from the other forms of IPRs in that, they are collectively owned and often used as a multifunctional tool to achieve the development objectives. GIs around the world help protect product distinctiveness, preserve cultural heritage, and thereby contribute to regional prosperity through higher economic returns. In the case of developing countries like India, GIs are seen as a relatively new concept that is conceived not on the basis of the realised needs of the producers but rather as an obligatory part under the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
India’s diverse agro-ecological conditions and its rich cultural and biodiversity heritage make it a perfect case for protection under the GI tag. The vision of the government for registering 10,000 GI products by 2030 has elevated GIs as a national priority. This would also be instrumental for promoting India’s soft power, developing global competitiveness and ensuring that the benefits trickle down to the rural communities. According to a recent Government of India press release, intellectual property filings have increased by 44 per cent over the past five years, while GI filings have grown by nearly 380 per cent during the same period. The introduction of an online filing system has further streamlined the process, with nearly 95 per cent of applications now being filed digitally.
India’s GI framework has existed for more than two decades with the objective of empowering rural communities and artisans by protecting their interests while preserving cultural, traditional, and economic values. The framework covers a broad range of goods, including agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts, manufactured goods, and natural products. As of March 2026, the country’s GI repository had reached 822 registered entries. The category-wise distribution reveals that handicrafts dominate the GI landscape, accounting for 53.41 per cent (439 registrations), followed by agricultural products at 31.63 per cent (260 registrations). Manufactured goods and foodstuffs account for 7.79 per cent and 7.18 per cent, respectively. This distribution highlights India’s emphasis on recognising the identity and uniqueness of indigenous artisanal products and rural primary-sector commodities.
Although the progress in registration of GIs has been noteworthy in the recent years, India trails far behind in the number of GIs compared to the other countries. As of 2023, a total of approximately 58,600 GIs were registered across 86 countries according to the statistics of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). Countries such as China and Germany lead in terms of number of registered GIs. China alone accounts for nearly 9,800 registered GIs in the world.
The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 of India has three-fold objectives, firstly by specific law governing the geographical indications of goods in the country which could adequately protect the interest of producers of such goods, secondly, to exclude unauthorised persons from misusing geographical indications and to protect consumers from deception and thirdly, to promote goods bearing Indian geographical indications in the export market.
Though the vision of ensuring a domestic framework for legal protection of unique goods has been realised through the implementation of GI, the objectives of checking the misuse of GIs and valorisation of economic potential of GIs have still been a distant goal in case of India, particularly in case of agricultural commodities. Registration of a GI alone does not automatically translate into market recognition, premium pricing, or enhanced producer incomes.
The status and eligibility of the applicant seeking GI registration deserve careful attention. Ideally the custodian of GI should represent the genuine producers, Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), cooperatives, and artisan groups duly facilitated by the nodal agencies. This will make GI registration inclusive, credible and aligned with the mandates of government’s vision.
Regional disparities in GI registration also remain a matter of concern. States such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra account for a disproportionately high share of registered GIs, whereas culturally and ecologically rich regions, including the Northeast and parts of Central India, continue to be underrepresented. This imbalance reflects disparities not only in policy outreach but also in the institutional capacities of state governments, local agencies, research institutions, and civil society organisations to facilitate GI identification, registration, and post-registration management. Studies have also shown that majority of rural population in the tribal, hilly, remote areas face difficulties in accessing institutional support, product aggregation, ensuring product quality and standard besides lacking the awareness on GIs.
Most registered GIs in India still have zero authorised users. The case of Basmati rice illustrates this challenge. Despite being one of India’s most prominent GI products and receiving active promotional support from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it has only 1,964 authorised users, even though its production spans seven states. This is particularly striking considering that India exported 52.42 lakh metric tonnes of Basmati rice worth Rs 48,389.18 crores during 2023-24. Although the 2020 amendments to the GI Rules simplified the registration process for Authorised Users by removing the requirement for joint applications, the number of registered users remains disappointingly low. Without wider participation by genuine producers, the benefits of GI protection cannot be equitably distributed.
Similarly, international recognition of Indian GIs especially that of agricultural goods remains limited. Except for products such as Darjeeling Tea and Basmati Rice, very few Indian GI products enjoy substantial protection or market recognition in foreign jurisdictions. This considerably limits their potential to generate export premiums and establish a stronger global identity.
The Government of India’s vision to register 10,000 GIs must not be limited to numerical targets; rather, it requires careful policy planning, strategic roadmaps, and alignment of stakeholders’ priorities to ensure that a sustainable GI framework contributes to overall economic development.
As India reflects on the future of its GI ecosystem, New Delhi is preparing to host the ‘GI & Beyond 2.0 Summit’ on 5 August 2026. The summit, focusing on handloom and handicraft products, aims to promote India’s GI-tagged products while facilitating collaboration among stakeholders across the GI ecosystem. Bringing together buyers, exporters, multinational corporations, e-commerce platforms, GI authorised users, policymakers, government officials, industry experts, intellectual property professionals, and academia under a common platform is a welcome initiative that can help unlock the economic potential of India’s GI products.
Similar focused efforts are now needed for agricultural commodities. Such initiatives can showcase India’s remarkable genetic diversity, unique quality characteristics, and traditional production systems to global markets. Ultimately, the true success of India’s GI movement will not be measured by the number of registrations alone but by its ability to improve producer livelihoods, strengthen rural economies, preserve traditional knowledge, and position India’s unique products as globally recognised symbols of quality and authenticity.
Mohit Sharma is Assistant Professor, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University, Pusa, Bihar
Pavithra S is Senior Scientist, ICAR–National Institute of Agricultural Economics and Policy Research (ICAR-NIAP), New Delhi
Views expressed are the authors’ own and don’t necessarily reflect those of Down To Earth