Geographical indication (Registration and Protection) Act, ____________ provides legal protection to GIs holder in India.

Despite having huge potential, poor awareness of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag's benefits for products has left India on the list of countries that have the least number of GI tagged products, said Assistant Collector Srutanjay Narayanan, who recently headed the first State-level conclave on geographical indications at Thoothukudi. A GI tag signifies the link between a product and its place of origin, and also its unique production method and distinguishing qualities, in effect promulgating traditional products in the global market. In a broader context, the GI tag is an integral form of rural development that can significantly advance our commercial and economic interests, Srutanjay told. Pointing out that Tamil Nadu had just 42 GI-tagged products, and the process is underway for 29 more products, he expressed concern that India as a whole was lagging far behind. "As of 2018, Germany topped the list with 15,566 GI-tagged products, with China in second place with 7,247 products. Even middle-income countries such as the Republic of Moldova, Bosnia, Herzegovina and Georgia boast of over 4,000 GI tags. In contrast, India had just 330 GI tags in force as of 2018," Srutanjay noted. "Though Tamil Nadu has potential for over 100 such tags, the associations, producers and artisans here are not aware of the registration process, or the scheme and subsidies they can avail of after securing the recognition," he said.