GI Product Registrations To Jump From 605 To 10,000 By 2030: Commerce Ministry

New Delhi, Jan 23 (KNN) Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal announced an ambitious plan to increase India's Geographical Indication (GI) product registrations from the current 605 to 10,000 by 2030.

Speaking at the GI Samagam event, Goyal outlined a comprehensive strategy to promote and protect unique regional products across the country.

A Geographical Indication is a specialised tag identifying products originating from a specific geographical territory, whether agricultural, natural, or manufactured.

This designation ensures the product's quality and distinctiveness are intrinsically linked to its place of origin, providing legal protection against unauthorised use.

The ministerial initiative includes establishing a dedicated committee to oversee the expansion of GI registrations.

Goyal emphasised the importance of spreading awareness about GI products to every state and district within the next five years.

The government plans to leverage platforms like the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) and encourage e-commerce players to promote these distinctive goods.

To support this mission, the government is strengthening the workforce of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks (CGPDTM), with plans to hire 1,000 additional personnel.

The registration process remains rigorous, involving multiple stages including application, scrutiny, examination, and potential opposition.

Notable GI-tagged products include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi Fabric, and Mysore Silk, among others. Internationally, the GI concept is recognised under the Paris Convention and WTO's TRIPS agreement, with countries like China already recognising over 10,000 such products.

(KNN Bureau)