Geographical Indication Tag and GI Tagged Products

What is GI Tag?

Geographical Indication (GI) Tag is form of intellectual property, a certification or sign or name given to certain goods/products that are unique to a particular geographical region or location.

According to the WTO Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), “Geographical Indications (GIs) are the indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member, or a region or a locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographic origin.”

Who provides GI Tag?

GI Tag is given to the goods by the Geographical Indication Registry (headquartered in Chennai) under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. The Act however came into effect from 15 September 2003.

The GI Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.

Why is GI Tag important?

The tag ensures the quality and essential attributes of a food produced in a specific location. It also ensures that none other than the authorized users can use the GI tagged product name. 

Some important facts regarding GI Tag:

• The GI tag is valid for 10 years and after that can be renewed for next 10 years.
• The first product that was awarded the GI tag in India was Darjeeling Tea in 2004-05.
• Karnataka has the highest number of GI tags i.e. 47 products followed by Tamil Nadu (39).
• Some of the major products that have got GI tag are:
  • Mysore Silk of Karnataka
  • Odisha Pattachitra
  • Blue Pottery of Rajasthan
  • Kashmir Pashmina
  • Phulkari, Punjab
  • Nagpur Orange
  • Mizo Chilli
  • Lucknow Chikan craft
  • Hyderabad Haleem
  • Coorg Green Cardamom of Karnataka
  • Chanderi Sarees of Madhya Pradesh
  • Kancheepuram Silk of Tamil Nadu
  • Thanjavur Paintings, Tamil Nadu
  • Pokkali Rice, Kerala
  • Tirupathi Laddu, Andhra Pradesh

List of products that got GI Tag between April 2019- May 2020