A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is legal protection for a product whose quality or reputation comes from where it is made, such as Darjeeling tea or Konkan Alphonso mango. Here are the meaning, the Indian law, examples and how to check a GI claim.
What is a GI tag? The meaning
Why do we link Darjeeling tea to Darjeeling, or Kanchipuram sarees to Tamil Nadu? Because the name tells the buyer where the product comes from and what to expect. A Geographical Indication, or GI tag, turns that link into legal protection. The World Trade Organization's TRIPS Agreement, Article 22.1, defines geographical indications as indications that identify a good as originating in a territory, or a region or locality in it, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
In plain terms, a GI protects the name of a place-based product. Producers in that region can use the name, and outsiders cannot use it to sell something else. A GI is not a quality certificate for every single item, and it is not a trademark owned by one company. It belongs to the region and its authorised producers.
GI tag full form and the law in India
The full form of GI tag is Geographical Indication tag. India protects GIs under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force on 15 September 2003. The Geographical Indications Registry, which works under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), registers the names. Protection covers agricultural goods, foodstuffs, handicrafts and manufactured products.
A registered GI normally has a registered proprietor, often an association of producers, and individual producers or traders can apply to become authorised users. Only authorised users may use the GI for their goods. That is why a seller's authorised-user number matters when you check a claim.
First GI tag in India: Darjeeling tea
The first Indian product registered as a GI was Darjeeling tea, in 2004-05, according to the Wikipedia list of Indian GIs. It is grown in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Its flavour is linked to altitude, climate and the way the leaf is picked and processed in that district. Since then, India has registered several hundred more GIs. The Registry's public search and journal carry the current list, so check them rather than trusting a number quoted on a web page.
GI tag examples in India
| Product | Region | What the name signals |
|---|---|---|
| Darjeeling tea | Darjeeling, West Bengal | Tea grown and processed in the district; the first Indian GI (2004-05) |
| Basmati rice | Northern Indian states | Long-grain aromatic rice grown in the notified region |
| Kanchipuram silk saree | Tamil Nadu | Handloom silk weaving from Kanchipuram |
| Kashmir saffron | Jammu and Kashmir | Saffron grown in the Kashmir region |
| Alphonso mango | Maharashtra (Konkan) | Alphonso from the Konkan region, GI No. 139 |
Wikipedia's list of Indian GIs places Alphonso mango (Maharashtra) in 2018-19. The GI is for the Alphonso variety grown in the notified Konkan region, not for every mango called Hapus.
The Alphonso mango GI tag (GI No. 139)
Konkan is the stretch of India's 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 Registry's public record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango, shows it merged with the Alphonso Mango application, GI No. 139. Both belong to the same variety and the same GI.
AlphonsoMango.in is run by Powle Home Foods, Mumbai. We hold GI Authorised User certificate AU/5974/GI/139/260 (GI No. 139), and the details are on our Brand Facts page. We source across 48 villages of the Ratnagiri and Devgad belt. In short, this is GI-certified Alphonso. You can read how we explain the tag to buyers in our Alphonso mango GI tag guide.
How to check a GI claim before you buy
- Ask for the authorised-user number. A seller who is an authorised user can tell you the number. Ours is AU/5974/GI/139/260.
- Match it to the GI number. For Alphonso, the GI number is 139. A number that does not mention the product's GI should prompt questions.
- Check the Registry record. The GI Registry public search shows the registered GI and its status.
- Ask where the fruit was grown. A GI covers origin. Villages, orchard areas and harvest practice are fair questions.
- Ask about ripening. A GI says nothing about how fruit was ripened. Ask any seller.
We cannot tell you what a code on someone else's carton means, because each seller does their own packing and labelling. What we can say is that the authorised-user number, the grower location and the ripening method are the three answers worth asking for. We do not use carbide. Our Alphonso mangoes are ripened naturally on hay beds.
Our guide on how to identify authentic Hapus mango adds a checklist for the fruit itself.
Why GI tags matter for producers and buyers
For producers, a GI keeps the value of a regional name with the people who earn it. Farmers and craftspeople in the region can charge for a reputation built over generations, and other sellers cannot borrow the name. For buyers, it is a signal about origin and a reason to ask better questions. It does not replace food-safety checks. In India those come from FSSAI rules, which, for instance, prohibit selling fruit ripened with carbide gas under Regulation 2.3.5 of the Food Safety and Standards (Prohibition and Restrictions on Sales) Regulations, 2011.
GI protection also helps small regional industries hold on to their identity. Without it, the name of a famous place can end up on goods made far away. That is the problem the law is built to prevent.
Buying GI-certified Alphonso from us
Prices start from Rs 1,849 per dozen for Ratnagiri or Devgad Alphonso. A dozen weighs roughly 1.8 to 3.3 kg depending on grade. Check the product page for today's price. The 2027 season opens on 1 February 2027, and fresh Alphonso is not sold outside the season. Our Alphonso pulp tins, from Rs 590, are available all year. See the Ratnagiri Alphonso Mango or Devgad Alphonso Mango page.
People also ask
What is the meaning of a GI tag?
A GI tag, or Geographical Indication, identifies a product as coming from a specific place where its quality or reputation is essentially due to that origin, as defined in Article 22 of the WTO TRIPS Agreement. It protects the name of the product, for example Darjeeling tea or Alphonso mango from the Konkan.
Who gives the GI tag in India?
GIs are registered by the Geographical Indications Registry under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force on 15 September 2003. The Registry works under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Producers apply through a registered proprietor, and authorised users then use the tag.
Which was the first GI tag in India?
Darjeeling tea was the first Indian product registered as a Geographical Indication, in 2004-05, according to the Wikipedia list of Indian GIs. It is grown in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Since then, India has registered several hundred more GIs across agricultural, handicraft and food products, including Alphonso mango from Maharashtra.
How can I verify a GI claim on Alphonso mango?
Ask the seller for their GI Authorised User number and check that it points to GI No. 139. Ours is AU/5974/GI/139/260. Then check the GI Registry public record, and ask where the fruit was grown and how it was ripened, because a GI covers origin and does not describe ripening.
Related searches
- Alphonso mango GI tag guide
- How to identify authentic Hapus mango
- Brand Facts and GI details
- Why Ratnagiri Alphonso mangoes
- Devgad mango guide
- Buy Ratnagiri Alphonso mango
- Buy Devgad Alphonso mango
Sources and further reading
- World Trade Organization, TRIPS Agreement, Part II, Section 3: Geographical Indications (Articles 22 to 24).
- Wikipedia, Geographical indications in India, accessed October 2026.
- Geographical Indications Registry of India, public search record for application 379, Devgad Alphonso Mango (merged with application 139), accessed October 2026.
- Wikipedia, Alphonso mango.
Written by Prashant Powle, founder of AlphonsoMango.in. Last reviewed October 2026.