How to Check GI Tagged Products in India: A Buyer's Guide

To check a GI tagged product in India, first look up the geographical indication on the public search of the Geographical Indications Registry run by IP India, then confirm that the seller or producer is registered as an authorised user of that GI. Even when both checks pass, a GI registration covers a name and a region, not a particular pack, so you still need batch-level evidence that the product came from that region.

How does the GI system work in India?

Geographical indications are protected under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. A GI identifies goods as coming from a particular territory, where a given quality, reputation or other characteristic of the goods is essentially due to that origin. Registrations are handled by the Geographical Indications Registry, which is part of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (IP India), based in Chennai.

For background on which agricultural products hold GIs and why, see our guide to GI tags in agriculture.

This is the short checklist. For the longer walk-through (the register list, the GI number, renewals, authorised-user entries and the logo rules) see how to verify a GI product. To find a GI's official record, use our India GI tag index of food and agriculture GIs.

Registered proprietor vs authorised user: what is the difference?

The Act separates two roles, and buyers often confuse them.

• Registered proprietor. This is the applicant whose name is entered in the register for the GI. Under the Act, an application can be made by an association of persons, producers, an organisation or an authority that represents the interests of the producers of the goods. For many agricultural GIs, this is a producer cooperative, a society or a state government body.
• Authorised user. Under Section 17 of the Act, any person who claims to be a producer of the goods covered by a registered GI can apply to the Registrar to be registered as an authorised user. The application must include a statement and supporting documents, and it goes through examination and possible opposition in the same way as the GI itself.

The distinction matters because, under Section 21 of the Act, registration gives the registered proprietor and the authorised users the right to seek relief for infringement, and gives authorised users the exclusive right to use the GI on the goods it covers. A farmer, trader or brand in the GI region who is not registered as an authorised user does not have that right under the Act.

How long does a GI registration last?

Under Section 18 of the Act, a GI registration lasts ten years and can be renewed. An authorised user's registration also has a fixed term. Both should be current on the date you check.

How do you check a GI on the IP India registry?

The GI Registry has a public search on search.ipindia.gov.in. Each application record shows the application number, status, applicant name, date of filing, class of goods, the goods and the geographical area, along with the documents filed.

1. Find the GI. Search by the product name, for example "Lakadong Turmeric" or "Darjeeling Tea". Note the application number and the GI number if one has been assigned.
2. Check the status. Make sure the application is registered, not pending, abandoned or refused. A product described as "GI applied" is not the same as a registered GI.
3. Read the geographical area. The record defines the region the GI covers. A product from outside that area cannot claim the GI, even if it is the same crop.
4. Note the registered proprietor. This tells you which body is responsible for the GI and who to contact if you suspect misuse.
5. Read the specification if it is filed. Many GI applications describe the method of production and the quality characteristics. These tell you what a genuine product should be like.

Record the date you checked (we checked the portal in October 2026).

How do you check if a seller is an authorised GI user?

IP India publishes registered authorised users separately from the main GI record. The IP India GI section lists the Part B register of authorised users, and the GI Registry's public search lets you look up authorised-user applications.

To check a seller:

1. Ask for their authorised user registration number and the GI it relates to.
2. Look it up on the IP India site and confirm that the name and address match the seller or producer you are dealing with.
3. Confirm that the registration is valid on today's date.
4. If the seller is a trader or brand rather than the producer, ask whose authorised-user registration covers the goods, and for purchase records that link their stock to that producer.

No authorised-user number does not prove a fake, but it means the GI claim cannot be checked on the register.

What is the GI logo?

India has a common GI logo with the tagline "Invaluable Treasures of Incredible India". IP India's GI guidelines page publishes the draft guidelines for permitting use of the GI logo and tagline. Under those draft guidelines, the logo is meant for registered Indian GI products, and registered proprietors and authorised users can use it for their own GI.

A GI logo printed on a pack tells you what the seller is claiming. It does not tell you whether the claim is true. Anyone with a printer can reproduce a logo, so treat it as a prompt to check the register, not as proof in itself.

Why doesn't a GI tag prove a pack is genuine?

A GI registration protects a name and a region. It does not follow individual consignments. The register can tell you:

• that the GI exists and covers a defined area;
• who the registered proprietor is;
• who the registered authorised users are.

It cannot tell you:

• whether this pack was filled with produce from the GI region;
• whether an authorised user's stock was mixed with produce from outside the region;
• whether the product was tested, and what the results were;
• whether a trader is reselling produce they actually bought from an authorised user.

Closing that gap needs records at the batch level: which authorised user or farmer group supplied the produce, from which village, on what date, in what quantity, and a lab report that names the batch. A trace page linked to the batch by a QR code can show these records, including the authorised-user certificate, to anyone who scans the pack. IndiTrace keeps this kind of batch record, but it does not issue or certify GIs and it is not connected to the GI Registry. The GI status still has to be checked with IP India.

Tips for buyers and retailers

• Ask suppliers for the GI registration number, the authorised-user number and the batch records for each consignment.
• For high-value GI products, ask for a lab report for each lot, not a single report for the year.
• Keep a copy of your register check with the purchase record, so you can show what you checked and when.

The spices page shows how origin and lab records can be attached to each batch of a GI spice.

Questions

Q: How can I check if a product has a GI tag in India? Search for the product name on the Geographical Indications Registry public search at search.ipindia.gov.in, and confirm that its status is registered and that the geographical area matches the product's stated origin.

Q: What is an authorised user of a GI? A producer of the goods covered by a registered GI who has applied to the Registrar under Section 17 of the GI Act, 1999 and been entered in the register as an authorised user. Authorised users have the exclusive right to use the GI on those goods.

Q: Can anyone from the GI region use the GI name? Under the Act, the right to use the GI belongs to registered authorised users. Producers in the region need to register as authorised users to have that right.

Q: How long is a GI registration valid in India? Ten years, and it can be renewed, under Section 18 of the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999.

Q: Does the GI logo on a pack prove it is genuine? No. The logo shows what the seller claims. Check the GI and the seller's authorised-user registration with IP India, and ask for batch records and lab reports for that consignment.