After much delay, the process of registration of basmati rice has been initiated under the geographical indications (GI) certification in India. The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) has stated that basmati rice cultivation will remain confined within the boundaries of Haryana, New Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand, 26 districts of western Uttar Pradesh (UP) and two districts of Jammu.

Imposition of GI norms

APEDA expects registration under the GI of Goods (registration and protection) Act, 1999 to be introduced within the next 6 months. “With the imposition of the GI certification, a product’s reliability will remain intact, which can consequently help it gain recognition in the global market,” says Surendra Gupta, managing director of Dulichand Narender Kumar Exports Private Limited, a leading rice supplier in New Delhi. GI certification is tagged onto products that have a reputation attributable to its place of origin or the region where it is manufactured, such as Assam tea, Hyderabad pearls and Mysore sandalwood.

“GI certification will aid genuine companies to get recognition and prevent fake companies from entering the market. In this case, basmati rice companies in the market will get a boost,” says Murtaza Bharmal, CEO of M S Y Traders, a mid-sized rice exporter in Pune.

Earlier, most private companies were facing problems in registering their products as ‘basmati’. India and Pakistan have together taken a number of steps in the last couple of years to register ‘basmati’ under GI certification in order to safeguard its premium market in the global arena. Following the registration of ‘basmati’ under the GI certification in India and Pakistan, the countries would have to jointly register ‘basmati rice’ in all major export destinations.

In India, violation of the GI Act can lead to imprisonment of the accused for minimum of 6 months to a maximum of 3 years. A fine may also be imposed ranging from Rs 50,000-2 lakh. 

Sabrina Mitchell