From Banglar Rasogolla to Odisha Rasagola: A Guide to GI Tags

Which local delicacy or craft would you want a GI tag for?

A Bengali man, an Odia man and a food critic went to a mithai shop together...

What do you think happened between the three?

No, they did not fight each other to death over ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ and ‘Odisha rasagola’. Like courteous patrons, they walked out with their preferred variation of the mouth-watering sweet, both of which are now registered with a Geographical Indication tag, recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

Is one state’s claim over the other any stronger? Not really. It simply means that the Ministry of Trade and Commerce of India recognises ‘Banglar Rasogolla’ and ‘Odisha rasagola’ as two distinct products from different places.

What Is ‘Geographical Indication’?

The definition of a GI which is adhered to internationally is authenticity given to a product, which is either natural or manufactured, that traces its origin to a specific place and whose characteristics reflect the place of its origin.

A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.

World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)

Internationally, WIPO forms committees that maintain a list of registered GI tagged goods or products across countries, each country has its own governing body that monitors its domestic market as well.

Food items are not the only things to get GI tags. The governing bodies issue GI tags for a range of categories, including agricultural products, handicrafts, art, textiles, etc. Darjeeling tea from West Bengal was the first item to get a GI tag in India.

Kashmiri Pashmina from Jammu and Kashmir, Banaras brocades and sarees of Banaras, Madhubani paintings and even Feni from Goa are all registered with a Geographical Indication.

In India, the DPIIT allows registered products and goods to use a Geographical Indication tag which comes with a logo and a tagline as per the department’s recent revisions and guidelines passed on 24 June.

The Perks of Geographical Indication

Does a GI tag make a product better? Not quite, but it certainly gives it the edge of authenticity, which, in turn, helps with its pricing in the market. For instance, GI tagged Darjeeling tea enjoys a much higher market price as compared to Assam tea, which doesn’t have a GI tag.

This was pointed out by Assam Industry Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary in the Assembly session:

Our tea has not been able to compete with the new varieties of tea... The big tea leaf sellers blend our tea with other teas and then brand them to sell as theirs, because we do not have GI (tag) for Assam Tea.”

Patowary had said, as per Dailypioneer

Not to mention, a GI tagged good/product has to measure up to certain standards, which are set by its producers who had applied for the tag in the first place.

Thus, other than fetching more moolahs for the community from where the product originates, it also imbues the confidence to get authentic and good-quality products in consumers. Further, it helps to curb third-party knock offs that don’t match up to the prefixed quality standards.

Can My Favourite Local Snack Also Get a GI tag?

With the rosogolla making the cut, any desi foodie will wonder if their favourite jalebi, Bareilly ki barfi or Agra ka petha can get a GI tag.

Well, theoretically, yes. In fact, attempts have been made previously. In 2010, someone did try to register ‘Agra Petha’ with a GI tag but the application’s status shows it was ‘abandoned’.

As long as the product has a unique connection (ideally origin) to the land, or its reputation or quality derives from its place of origin, any group, individual or member of the community responsible for its production can apply for a GI tag.

But it is easier said than done given the rigorous documentation process involved, as researcher Anita Sabat elucidates.

“Once you apply, they give you a certain time period to get back to them with all the documentation, failing which the department considers the claim or application abandoned. Sometimes the applicants back out as it’s a very logistically and financially strenuous process.”

Anita Sabat 

Sabat was one of the key figures to spearhead the effort to get Odisha rasagola a GI tag.

“From taking videos, photographs, sourcing historical references to meeting the authorities for application submission and presentations: it is definitely not a single man’s job, you need an entire team to do this,” Sabat further adds.

As a result, several such efforts to have other local goods be GI registered were abandoned midway. Hyderabadi Biryani is one such that is still awaiting the GI tag...

And then there’s the case of Indian Basmati rice. While Madhya Pradesh would like to register its own variant of long-grain rice as Basmati, other states which produce GI tagged Basmati oppose the same, fearing reduction in cost.

The process of acquiring a GI tag ends when it is decided that the product is good and unique to its place of origin, and gets its reputation and qualities by virtue of the same.

On the brighter side, the MP state government has confirmed their efforts to get GI tags for Indori poha, Mawa jalebi, Chanderi sarees and Gwalior’s Jali work.