Applications for Protection of GI, Certification Mark for Basmati Rice filed in 19 Countries

Parliament on Wednesday was informed that applications for defense of the Geographical Indicator and Certification Mark for Basmati rice had been submitted in as many as 19 international countries. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Hardeep Singh Puri said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha that the Certification Mark for 'Basmati' and its logo has been documented in four countries so far: the United Kingdom, South Africa, New Zealand, and Kenya. 

A law firm has been hired to facilitate and handle the legal matters related to the defense of the GI/ Certification Mark for 'Basmati' in both India and other countries. "Applications for defense of the GI/ Qualification Mark vested in Basmati have been filed in 19 international jurisdictions," he added. 

A Geographical Indication (GI) is specifically an organic, natural, or manufactured (handicrafts and industrial goods) commodity that originates from a particular geographical region. Usually, such a name conveys a sense of quality and uniqueness, which is primarily due to the location of its roots. 

Puri also reported that the amount of scrips released under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) as of February 26, 2021 is Rs 15,452.83 crore, equivalent to Rs 39,530.45 crore in 2019-20. With starting from January 1, 2021, the MEIS will be phased out. 

In response to a query about the United Kingdom, he claimed that the UK has not pursued flexibility in India's data norms as part of trade and investment treaty negotiations. In response to a question about whether the UK has pursued versatility in India's data standards as part of trade and investment treaty negotiations, he said, "No sir."

In a related response, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal told Parliament that the AYUSH ministry is presently conducting stakeholder consultations to see whether an AYUSH Export Promotion Council should be founded (EPC). 

The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) has been entrusted by the Ministry of AYUSH to collaborate with the Department of Commerce and Indian industry representatives who are involved in establishing a council corpus, he said. 

In response to a question about start-ups, Goyal claimed that 13,703 trademark applications submitted by start-ups paid a reduced fee until February 28 for this current year.