The Alphonso mango GI tag is a legal marker of origin. GI No. 139 protects Alphonso grown in the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt of Konkan, Maharashtra. It tells you where the fruit grew, not how it was ripened. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260.
You can compare boxes and sizes in our Ratnagiri Alphonso collection.
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What the Alphonso mango GI tag is
The Alphonso mango GI tag is a Geographical Indication registered in India under GI No. 139. It protects the name of Alphonso mango from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra. In plain terms, the tag says that a mango sold under this name should come from that place. Alphonso grown elsewhere does not carry this GI, even though it is the same variety.
The registry's public search shows the record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango, merged with application 139. A law-firm article from May 2018 lists three Alphonso applications: No. 139 for Alphonso Mango, No. 379 for Devgad Alphonso Mango and No. 497 for Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango. For that reason you will see both Ratnagiri and Devgad fruit described as GI-tagged Alphonso.
GI tag full form and meaning
GI stands for Geographical Indication, in Hindi bhaugolik sanket. It is a sign used on goods that have a specific geographical origin, where the place accounts for the product's reputation, quality or character. Well-known Indian examples include Darjeeling tea and Kancheepuram silk. In India, GIs are registered and protected under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which is administered by the GI Registry.
A GI is different from a trademark. A trademark belongs to one business, which can license or sell it. A GI is a collective right tied to a place: producers in the notified area who meet the registration conditions can be registered as authorised users, and no single company owns it. That is why we describe ourselves as authorised users, not as owners of the Alphonso GI.
What the GI tag covers
Konkan is the stretch of the western coast between the Arabian Sea and the Deccan Plateau. Ratnagiri is a district there, and Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district. The GI covers Alphonso from this belt. We source from 48 villages across the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. Because both areas are covered by the same GI, we do not rank one above the other. They are the same variety, and you can pick by grade, fruit count and box size.
The name Alphonso comes from Afonso de Albuquerque, and mango grafting was introduced in Portuguese Goa by Jesuit missionaries. In Maharashtra the fruit is called Hapus. Our guides on why Alphonso is the king of fruits and the origin of Hapus cover the history.
Authorised users and our certificate
A GI Authorised User is a producer or seller registered to use the GI. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), as a business run by Powle Home Foods in Mumbai. You can read the same statement on our our published brand facts. We are also an FSSAI-licensed seller, and we have sold mangoes since 2019 offline and since 2020 online, with 47,000+ customers including offline and marketplace sales.
The GI exists to protect an entire region's growers. The Act gives registered proprietors and authorised users ways to act against misuse of the name, which matters because a high-value fruit is an easy target for mislabelling. A certificate on its own does not make a seller trustworthy, but it is one thing you can ask for.
What the GI tag does not tell you
A GI tag is about origin and, to the extent of the registration, the name. It does not tell you whether the fruit was picked at the right stage, ripened naturally, graded well or delivered fresh. Two sellers can both sell GI-tagged Alphonso and handle it very differently. Treat the GI as a necessary starting check, not a quality grade, and compare sellers on the points below.
How to check a seller
- Ask for the certificate number and the GI number it refers to. For Alphonso, the GI number is 139.
- Ask where the fruit was grown. A seller should name the district or taluka, and ideally the villages.
- Ask how it is ripened and whether the answer is plain and specific.
- Ask for the fruit count and weight in the dozen. Ours weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade.
- Ask about delivery and damage. We dispatch by Blue Dart, and about 65% of Indian PIN codes get next-day delivery. Report any damage within 24 hours of delivery.
Colour and aroma are rough clues, not proof, and no home test proves a mango is genuine Alphonso or how it was ripened. Our guides on how to identify authentic Hapus mango and carbide-free mangoes explain what to ask.
Ripening: hay beds and carbide
The GI says nothing about ripening, so it is worth stating our own practice. Mature mangoes can ripen on their own, for example on a bed of hay over several days, or be forced with a chemical. Calcium carbide is prohibited for ripening fruit under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011. Ethylene up to 100 ppm is the permitted alternative.
We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds.
Hay-ripened vs carbide-ripened mangoes: what differs
| Point | Naturally ripened on hay beds | Ripened with calcium carbide |
|---|---|---|
| Ripening medium | Mature fruit is laid on hay beds and ripens by itself over several days. | Calcium carbide produces acetylene gas, which is used to force ripening. |
| Legality in India | Allowed. | Prohibited. Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011 bars selling fruit ripened with acetylene (carbide) gas. |
| Skin colour (rough clue, not proof) | Often uneven: green, gold and a blush can sit together on one fruit. | Colour alone cannot show how a fruit was ripened; an even bright yellow skin is only a rough clue. |
| Aroma (rough clue, not proof) | A sweet fruity smell, strongest near the stalk, builds as the fruit ripens. | Aroma can be weak when ripening is forced; this is a rough clue only. |
| Taste and health note | Sweet with a little acidity, soft flesh. | The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (PIB, 18 May 2024) lists dizziness, irritation, difficulty in swallowing and vomiting among effects linked to carbide residues. |
No home test, including the water or bucket test, proves how a mango was ripened. Ask any seller how the fruit was ripened.
Ratnagiri and Devgad listings
We list order Ratnagiri Hapus and Devgad Alphonso mango separately, both from Rs 1,849 per dozen. The Ratnagiri listing goes up to Rs 5,399 for its largest option, and the order-online page goes up to Rs 10,499. Check the product page for the price of the size you want. Our mangoes collection shows everything listed.
Season and ordering
Alphonso is harvested about February to June, with the best supply from March to May. Harvest is done at Brahma Muhurta, the pre-dawn hours, and the fruit is hand-harvested with a zela pole fitted with a catching net. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027. Outside the season fresh Alphonso is not sold by us, while Alphonso pulp tins are available all year, from Rs 590.
People also ask
What is the full form of GI tag?
GI stands for Geographical Indication. It is a sign used on goods that come from a specific place, where the place gives the product its reputation, quality or character. In India GIs are registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and Alphonso mango carries GI No. 139.
What is the GI number of Alphonso mango?
Alphonso mango is registered under GI No. 139. The registry also holds a merged Devgad Alphonso application, number 379, and a law-firm summary lists a separate Ratnagiri Alphonso application, number 497. Our authorised-user certificate is AU/5974/GI/139/260, which refers to GI No. 139.
Which area is covered by the Alphonso mango GI tag?
The GI covers Alphonso from the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt of the Konkan coast in Maharashtra. Ratnagiri is a district, and Devgad is a taluka in Sindhudurg district. Alphonso grown outside the notified area does not carry the GI, even though it is the same variety.
Does a GI tag mean the mango is naturally ripened?
No. A GI tag shows where a mango was grown, not how it was ripened, graded or packed. Ask every seller how the fruit is ripened. Selling fruit ripened with calcium carbide is prohibited in India under Regulation 2.3.5, and no home test proves how a mango was ripened.
Related searches
- Geographical indication tag explained
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- Buy Ratnagiri Alphonso mango
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- Alphonso mango nutritional value
- How to identify authentic Hapus mango
Sources and further reading
- Geographical Indications Registry of India, public search record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango (merged with application 139), accessed October 2026.
- S.S. Rana & Co., Mangoes from Konkan region of Maharashtra will be known as Hapus (2 May 2018), accessed October 2026.
- Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011, Regulation 2.3.5 (compendium version of 2 April 2025).
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.
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