How to Search the GI Registry in India (Geographical Indications, 2026)

How-To · GI Registry

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

You hear that a product name is a registered GI, or a client asks whether a seller is allowed to use a GI tag. You need a quick, reliable answer, and the GI Registry pages are not always easy to find or read. To search the GI Registry, open the Geographical Indications section on ipindia.gov.in, use the list of registered GIs (Part A) and authorised users (Part B), and track an application by its number. Claw tracks GI registry matters. This guide shows each step, last verified October 2026.

01Why GI search trips people up

A Geographical Indication, or GI, is a name that points to the place a product comes from, and to the quality or reputation that comes from that place. Darjeeling tea and Kanchipuram silk are well known examples. Before you buy, sell, label or enforce anything that uses such a name, you may need to confirm that the GI is registered and who is allowed to use it.

Three things make this harder than it should be.

• The GI is not the same as a trademark. A search of the trademark register will not show it.
• There are two lists. The GI itself and the people allowed to use it sit in different parts of the register.
• Names vary. Spellings, local language names and English names can all differ, so one search is rarely enough.

The rules come from the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in September 2003. The GI Registry sits in Chennai and works under the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.

02GI vs trademark: what is the difference?

People often mix the two up. They protect different things.

So if you want to know whether a brand name is taken, search the trade marks register. If you want to know whether a place-linked name is protected, search the GI Registry. For the trademark side, see how to check trademark status in India.

03What the GI register contains

The register is kept in two parts.

• Part A: the registered Geographical Indications. Each entry carries details such as the GI name, the application number, the class of goods, the area, and the registration date.
• Part B: the registered authorised users. These are the producers who are allowed to use the GI, with their names and addresses.

Goods classes

GIs apply to goods only, not services. Entries are grouped by class of goods, using the same type of class system that trademarks use. Typical examples are agricultural products, foodstuffs, handicrafts, textiles, and manufactured goods. Knowing the class helps you narrow a search when a name is common.

Why registration matters

Registration gives a legal basis to stop misuse of the GI. A registered GI is initially valid for ten years and can be renewed. If you want to know what happens when someone misuses a GI, see GI infringement and offences in India.

04Step-by-step: how to search the GI Registry

The official source is the Geographical Indications section of the Indian Patent Office website. Follow these steps.

1. Open the official site. Go to ipindia.gov.in and open the Geographical Indications section. Look for the page titled track application, list of registered Geographical Indications and authorised users.
2. Pick the register. Choose the list of registered GIs (Part A) to check a GI, or the authorised users list (Part B) to check a producer.
3. Search by name, class or state. Start with the exact name. If nothing shows, try the local spelling, the English name, and a partial name. You can also browse by state or by class of goods.
4. Open the entry. Note the application number, the goods class, the area covered, the date of registration, and the status.
5. Cross-check the authorised users. If you are checking a seller, look for the seller in Part B under the same GI.
6. Check any pending application. Use the application number to follow its status (see below).
7. Save and date your result. Take a copy of the entry and note the date. The register changes as new GIs and users are added.

05Searching authorised users

A GI is a shared right. Producers of the region apply to be registered as authorised users, and only they can use the GI. That is why a seller saying "this is a registered GI product" is not enough. The seller should also be an authorised user, or buying from one.

To search authorised users:

• Open the Part B list on the official page.
• Search by the GI name first, then by the producer name or location.
• Check that the name and address match the business you are looking at.
• Check that the user is registered under the right GI and not a similar one.

Not finding a user does not always mean misuse. The user may have applied recently, or the list may be behind. Treat it as a reason to ask for proof, not as proof on its own. For a fuller guide to who can be an authorised user and how to register, see GI authorised users in India.

If you are screening a business or a counterparty more widely, the same habit applies: check more than one record. Our guide to litigation checks for tenant screening shows how a records check works in another setting, and conflict check software for Indian law firms covers checking parties before you take a matter.

06Checking GI application status

A GI application moves through examination, advertisement in the GI Journal, a period for objections, and then registration. To follow one:

• Keep the application number handy.
• Open the track application option in the GI section of ipindia.gov.in and look the number up.
• Read the GI Journal for advertised applications, since objections are invited after advertisement.
• Note any hearing or objection dates. A missed date can cost you your chance to be heard.

If you are the applicant or an objector, keep your own record of every notice. Official pages can lag behind the file.

07Common mistakes to avoid

• Searching the trademark register for a GI. Use the GI Registry for GIs.
• Stopping at one spelling. Try variants.
• Checking Part A only. A registered GI does not make every seller an authorised user.
• Not dating the result. A search is only true as of the day you ran it.
• Treating a missing entry as a final answer. Ask for the registration certificate or application number if the stakes are high.

08Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Claw does not replace the official GI Registry. The registry on ipindia.gov.in is the source of truth for what is registered. Claw is useful for the work around it: tracking GI registry matters and hearings, keeping dates and alerts for a matter in one place, and managing the file when a GI dispute reaches a court. Claw has a free plan for individual advocates. Team and enterprise plans are paid.

09Sources and further reading

• Indian Patent Office, Geographical Indications: ipindia.gov.in
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999: ipindia.gov.in/GI/act_1999
• India Code: indiacode.nic.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

Last verified October 2026. Official pages and links change, so confirm on the site before you rely on a result.

10Frequently asked questions