A Study on the Application and Coverage of Geographical Indications for Industrial Manufactured Goods under India’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)

Geographical Indications (GIs) are a key form of intellectual property, enabling producers to capitalise on the region-specific characteristics of their goods. In India, however, the GI regime remains disproportionately oriented towards agricultural and handicraft products. As of December 2024, only 23 Indian-origin GIs out of 658 registered GIs relate to manufactured or industrial goods. This study examines the regulatory, institutional, and market barriers inhibiting the effective commercialisation of manufactured GIs under India’s FTAs. Furthermore, it examines the export potential of these manufactured goods by analysing their performance in international trade markets. By using HS-based export data from 2019 to 2024 as a proxy, the study identifies export potential in manufactured GIs such as leather goods, footwear, tools, and essential oils. The findings demonstrate that underperformance is driven primarily by governance and market failures, rather than a lack of inherent competitiveness, underscoring the need for a recalibrated GI strategy for FTAs.