India to take on China on GI listings by tapping goods district-wise
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. New Delhi: With an eye on China, India is intensifying efforts to expand the number of Geographical Indication (GI) products to scale up exports and secure premium pricing in global markets, two people aware of the development said. GI products play a critical role in export promotion by highlighting the unique qualities tied to specific regions, cultures, and production methods.
The plan to close the gap with competitors such as China, which currently leads with a significantly larger GI product portfolio, involves registering a large number of unique products identified across 761 districts under the One District One Product (ODOP) plan, the first person said. As of now, 1,102 products are registered under the scheme, which was launched in 2018 to promote unique products from each district, boost local businesses, and increase their exports. While India has over 640 GI-tagged products, this is far behind China's 7,247.
The total number of global GI products stands at 69,900. India is also facing challenges in protecting its own GI products, as many GI varieties of mangoes are now being grown in other countries, including China, and exported as products of those nations. This poses tough competition for Indian mangoes.
A report by Mint on 15 August highlighted that Indian varieties of mangoes grown in China are becoming more popular than those grown in India. Additionally, China has surpassed India in mango exports, further intensifying the competition. Similarly, India's GI-tagged Basmati rice is facing a challenge from Pakistan in the European Union.
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