Mysuru: Sixteen items, including various products and logos from the Mysuru region, have been granted the prestigious Geographical Indication (GI) status.

Overall, 46 products from Karnataka have received the GI tag, with 16 of them hailing from Mysuru. These include renowned items such as Mysore Betel Leaf, Mysore Jasmine, Mysore Paintings and Mysore Sandal Soap.

Among the 46 products bearing the GI tag, 20 are handicrafts, 22 are agricultural products, 3 are manufactured goods and one is a food product.

The GI-tagged products from Mysuru region are Nanjangud Banana, Mysore Mallige, Mysore Betel Leaf, Mysore Silk, Mysore Agarbathi, Mysore Rosewood Inlay, Mysore Sandalwood Oil, Mysore Sandal Soap, Mysore Traditional Paintings, Ganjifa Cards, Ganjifa Cards (logo), Mysore Silk (Logo), Coorg Orange, Channapatna Dolls, Coorg Green Cardamom and Coorg Arabica Coffee.

Unique identity of a product

A Geographical Indication (GI) tag signifies the unique identity of a product or range of products associated with a specific geographical location, which can be a city, region, area or country. The purpose is to preserve and protect the distinct characteristics and heritage of the product, passed down through generations. India, as a member of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), introduced GI tags for its goods in 2003, in accordance with the WTO Agreement (under Article 22(1) of TRIPS – Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).

GI is defined as “Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member or a region or a locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographic origin.”

Special status

As many as 28 States have registered for a GI tag with the Indian Patent Office, the Government agency that recognises the origin of a product. This status allows a State or a geographical region to lay an exclusive claim over a product, gives an assurance of quality and is often an alibi for producers to command a higher price in the market.

The Geographical Indications of Goods Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in December 1999. However, despite the recognition of 16 products from Mysuru, some face the threat of extinction, including Mysore Mallige (Jasmine) and Betel Leaf.

Mysore Mallige has been adversely affected by rampant development, leading to a significant reduction in cultivation areas over the years. Additionally, Mysore Mallige faces competition from other varieties originating in Andhra and Tamil Nadu.

Mysore Vilyedele (Betel Leaf) is another crop under pressure due to urbanisation. The areas cultivating Betel Leaf have considerably shrunk as real estate expansion takes over, with only 2 percent of the total Betel Leaves arriving in the city market being Mysore Vilyedele.