The Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Friday announced a geographical indication tag for the Alphonso mango from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other nearby areas in Maharashtra. This status, awarded by the India Patent Office, allows a state or a geographical region to lay an exclusive claim over a product, gives an assurance of quality, and is often used as a reason to increase product rates.
The fruit is known as the king of mangoes and is locally referred to as “Hapus”. India exports the fruit to several countries including Japan, Korea, United States, Australia and across Europe.
Other examples of products with a geographical indication tag are Darjeeling tea, Mahabaleshwar strawberry, Jaipur blue pottery, Banarasi sarees and Tirupati laddus. The status can help boost rural economies by drawing consumer attention to remote areas and promoting the work of local artisans, farmers, weavers and craftsmen.
In August, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu launched a logo and tagline for the Geographical Indications of India. Prabhu said the status will give the “rightful share of intellectual property to the artisan and the place of origin of the product”.
Darjeeling tea was the first product to bag a Geographical Indication tag in India in 2004. A total of 325 products have secured the status over the years.
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