9 more GI TAGS to India

Centre awards nine GI tags to take total to 432

When India became a WTO member, it enacted the Geographical Indications (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which went into effect on September 15, 2003.

Recognized by the World Trade Organization (WTO), geographical indication (GI) is used to denote the geographical territory from which a product, whether agricultural produce, natural product, or manufactured, conveys the assurance of quality, distinctiveness, and attributes unique to that specific geographic region/place of origin.

Nine new Geographical Indications (GIs) have been added to the existing list, including Assam's gamocha, Telangana's Tandur red gramme, Ladakh's Raktsey Karpo apricot, and Maharashtra's Alibag white onion. Kerala has received five Geographical Indication (GI) labels for its agricultural products.

This brings the total number of GI tags in India to 432. Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala are the top five states in terms of the number of GIs. 401 are of Indian origin, while 31 are of foreign origin.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have the most GI tags, followed by Kerala (35), Uttar Pradesh (34), and Maharashtra (31).

Aside from promoting the development of cross-cultural societies within the country, such activities not only promote the transfer of diverse products among states, but also contribute to the future development of a more vibrant cultural society.