Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita on Tuesday said India has witnessed a significant expansion in the registration of Geographical Indication (GI) products over the past 12 years, with the number of GI-tagged products in the country surpassing 820.
Speaking at the ‘GI & Beyond 2.0’ Summit in New Delhi, Margherita said India had around 200 GI-tagged products until 2014, while more than 600 additional products had received the recognition since Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office.
Highlighting the growth in GI registrations, the minister said the milestone reflected the country’s sustained efforts to recognise and protect products linked to specific regions and traditional knowledge. He said the increase in registrations had strengthened the identity of India’s diverse cultural and artisanal heritage.
Margherita emphasised that a Geographical Indication tag represented far more than an intellectual property certification. According to him, it symbolised the identity, cultural heritage, regional uniqueness and civilisational legacy associated with a particular product and its place of origin.
He further said that GI recognition plays a crucial role in preserving India’s traditional knowledge systems, indigenous products and regional heritage while enabling local producers to gain greater visibility, improved market access and wider commercial opportunities.
The ‘GI & Beyond 2.0’ Summit focused on enhancing the value, visibility and market potential of India’s GI-tagged products and promoting them on both national and international platforms.
