A Ground Reality Of Geographical Indication Turning Into Global Industrialisation
- IJLLR Journal
- May 12
- 1 min read
Aksha Tarannum, School of Law, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Visakhapatnam
ABSTRACT
Although the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 was intended to be a ground breaking legal tool for protecting India’s traditional knowledge and fostering regional economic growth, its execution reveals significant structural and distributional issues. The instances of Darjeeling Tea, Araku Coffee, and Kolhapuri Chappal illustrate that while GI tagging has effectively improved global visibility, branding, and export value, it has not succeeded in guaranteeing fair benefit- sharing with local producers and artisans. Even with high international prices and cultural significance, plantation workers, tribal farmers, and leather artisans continue to earn meager incomes, caught in exploitative supply chains led by intermediaries and corporate players.
From 1999 to 2025, India’s GI regime has witnessed significant growth, with registrations spanning handicrafts, agricultural products, textiles, and manufactured goods, and increasing participation from diverse states. This paper highlights the on-going concerns with the help of recent cases such as Darjeeling Tea (the first Indian GI, battling global misuse), Araku Coffee (highlighting corporate collaborations and producer vulnerabilities), and Kolhapuri chappals (threatened by counterfeits and industrial imitation) underscore the opportunities and challenges in leveraging GIs for producer welfare and cultural preservation.
Despite progress, challenges persist weak enforcement, lack of awareness, limited international protection, and inequitable benefit-sharing. The way forward lies in enhanced certification, digital market integration, international cooperation, awareness campaigns, and stronger supply chain linkages. Thus, the GI Act, 1999 has evolved from a trade obligation into a crucial tool for economic empowerment, cultural heritage protection, and global market positioning of Indian products.
Keywords: Geographical Indications, producers, products, distributors.
