Modi Government Eyes 10,000 Geographical Indication Tags By 2030

Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal has set a target of reaching 10,000 Geographical Indication (GI) Tags by 2030.

The minister set the target at  the GI Samagam on Wednesday (22 January) in New Delhi.

The event was organised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and India Today Group.

Goyal said this target will be achieved through a whole of government approach, and the government will constitute a committee to oversee this.

The number of GI tags issued by the department till date stands at 605.

The GI tag ensures that none other than those registered as authorised users (or at least those residing inside the geographic territory) are allowed to use the popular product name.

Goyal also highlighted the efforts of the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi to give a thrust to the Intellectual Property (IPR) ecosystem.

The number of authorised users for GI tags increased from 365 to 29,000 and the number of patents granted increased from 6.000 to 100,000 in the last ten years.

Stressing on the idea of ‘Vikas bhi aur Virasat bhi’ given by the Prime Minister, Goyal highlighted the constant efforts of PM Modi including mentioning of various products in his ‘Mann ki Baat’ radio programme.

Speaking on the efforts of the government to strengthen the IPR ecosystem, Goyal highlighted the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Fund and One District One Product (ODOP) scheme.

He also lauded the efforts of Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra state governments in promoting GI products.

The minister added that the government also increased the manpower strength of the department and the whole process has been made online in a time-bound manner.

Stressing on the need for better branding of GI products, he emphasised onthe need for collaboration with FSSAI and BIS for ensuring better quality standards.

This will also help to address the issue of counterfeit products, he added.

Goyal suggested the possibility of having GI tagged products listed on GeM platform, ONDC portal and even e-commerce platforms.

The minister added that e-commerce platforms are increasingly looking at Indian handloom, handicrafts, speciality food products etc.

Goyal also pointed out that GI products can be showcased by Indian embassies abroad, similar to ODOP products and can unlock the export potential for this sector.

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