Geographical indication

Also called: GI, GI tag · Topic: International Trade Policy, WTO and Intellectual Property · NCERT: Beyond NCERT

Meaning

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on goods that come from a particular place, when their quality, reputation or other features come mainly from that place. Examples are Darjeeling Tea, Basmati and Alphonso mango.

It matters because a GI stops outsiders from using a famous place-name on their goods. It protects the price premium that local producers earn. India now uses GIs as a tool to raise rural incomes and exports.

Explanation

How a GI works

• A GI links a product to a place. The place gives the product something special, such as its soil, climate or local skill.
• A GI is not owned by one firm. It belongs to the community or producers of a region. Any genuine producer from that area can use it.
• A GI is an intellectual property right (IPR), which is a legal right over something made by the mind. It is covered by the WTO's TRIPS Agreement (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, 1995).
• In India, a GI is protected for 10 years, and the protection can be renewed.

Two levels of protection under TRIPS

• Art. 22 (general protection, all products):
• Every GI must be protected so that the public is not misled and unfair competition is stopped [4].

• So "Darjeeling-type tea" may be allowed if buyers are not misled about where it comes from.

• Art. 23 (extra protection, only wines and spirits):

• These GIs are protected even if the misuse would not mislead anyone [4].

• So a label like "Champagne-style" or "Scotch-type" is banned on a wine or spirit, even when the true origin is printed on it.

• Art. 23.4 called for a multilateral register (one shared international list) for wines. The Doha Ministerial Declaration (2001) extended this mandate to spirits [4].

The extension debate at the WTO

• Who wants extension: India, the EU and many developing countries want Art. 23-level protection for all products, including basmati, Darjeeling tea and Alphonso mango.
• Who opposes it: the US, Australia, Canada, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, the Philippines and others. They say Art. 22 protection is already enough [4].
• Legal dispute: members also disagree on whether the Doha Declaration even gives a mandate to negotiate extension [4].
• Why it matters for India:
• Under Art. 22, a foreign seller can use "basmati-type" if buyers are not misled.
• Weaker protection lets outsiders use India's famous names, so Indian producers lose some of their export premium.

What makes GI numbers rise

• More producer groups apply once they learn about the benefits.
• Government campaigns and targets push registrations, especially of handicrafts and handlooms.
• The count keeps growing:
• 432 registered GIs (December 2022) [1]
• 605 GI tags (January 2025) [2]
• 658 GI-tagged products (2025) [3]

In India

• Law: the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act 1999. It came into force in September 2003. It was one of the laws India passed in 1999–2003 to meet its TRIPS deadlines.
• Registry: the GI Registry is in Chennai. It is part of the Office of the CGPDTM (Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks), under DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce).
• Policy umbrella: the National IPR Policy 2016 ("Creative India; Innovative India") brings GIs and all other IPRs under one policy. It is implemented through CIPAM (Cell for IPR Promotion and Management) under DPIIT.
• First Indian GI: Darjeeling Tea (2004-05).
• Term: 10 years, renewable.
• Latest figures:
• 658 GI-tagged products (2025), including 214 handicraft and 104 handloom products [3].
• The Commerce Minister set a target of 10,000 GI tags by 2030 and announced a committee to oversee it [2].
• The count changes often, so check the latest figure before the exam.

Don't confuse with

• Trademark: it identifies one firm's goods (a brand name or logo) and can be renewed without limit in 10-year blocks under the Trade Marks Act 1999. A GI belongs to all producers of a region.
• Industrial design: it protects the look of a product (shape, pattern, colours) for at most 10 + 5 = 15 years under the Designs Act 2000. A GI protects the link to a place, not the appearance.
• TRIPS Art. 22 vs Art. 23: Art. 22 covers all products and bans only misleading use. Art. 23 gives stronger, absolute protection only to wines and spirits.
• Plant variety protection (PPV&FR Act 2001): it protects a new plant variety that passes the DUS test (distinct, uniform, stable) plus novelty. A GI protects a place-based reputation, even for a traditional product.

Prelims Hooks

• TRIPS Art. 23 gives extra GI protection only to wines and spirits. Trap: "Art. 23 protects basmati" is false. Basmati gets only Art. 22 protection [4].
• First Indian GI: Darjeeling Tea (2004-05). The GI Registry is in Chennai.
• The GI Act 1999 came into force in September 2003. A GI is protected for 10 years, renewable.
• A GI is owned by the community or producers of a region, not by one firm. That is how it differs from a trademark.
• Doha Declaration (2001) extended the Art. 23.4 multilateral-register mandate from wines to spirits [4].
• Numbers: 432 GIs (Dec 2022) [1]; 605 (Jan 2025) with a 10,000-by-2030 target [2]; 658 in 2025, including 214 handicraft and 104 handloom products [3].

Mains Points

• The GI extension fight is a North–South and Old World–New World split.
• The EU and India want Art. 23 protection for all products [4].
• The US, Australia and Latin American exporters oppose it, because their firms use European-origin names [4].

• For India, stronger GIs would protect the export premium on basmati, Darjeeling tea and handicrafts.

• GIs as a tool for rural incomes and exports (GS-III).

• A GI stops fake goods → genuine producers can charge a higher price → more income for artisans, weavers and farmers in that region.
• The 10,000-GI-by-2030 target [2] and the large share of handicraft and handloom tags [3] show this policy focus.

• The challenge is enforcement: a tag helps only if fakes are actually stopped and buyers know what the tag means.

• Community ownership brings strengths and limits (GS-II/GS-III).

• Because a GI belongs to a whole region, it can protect traditional skills that no single firm would register.
• But producers must organise, apply, renew every 10 years and police misuse together. That is hard for scattered small producers without government support.

Related concepts

• Copyright
• Trademark
• Industrial design
• Trade secret
• Layout-design of integrated circuits
• Plant variety protection
• Farmers' rights
• Biopiracy
• Access and benefit sharing

Read more

• Beyond patents: trademarks, copyright, GIs, designs, plant varieties and traditional knowledge