Draft explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The last part of the September 2026 draft Guidelines for Filing a GI Application follows the application after the producer body has prepared it: the forms, the language, who signs, how it is filed, and the stages the Registry would take it through until registration. This article explains what the draft proposes at each point and what the applicant should do.
This is a draft published for comments (September 2026); it is not final, it is not law and does not have the force of law; the Act and the Rules as now in force prevail. The current position should be checked on ipindia.gov.in.
The draft describes eight filing steps (forms and fee, language, signing, filing, preliminary examination, review by experts, publication and opposition, registration and renewal) and nine Registry stages, from receipt and scanning to the formality check, expert review, examination report, a possible show-cause hearing, publication and registration. It is a description, not a rule: periods, forms and fees come from the Rules as now in force, which prevail. A draft figure for the opposition window should not be used.
What this part covers
The draft's steps one to eight and its stages one to nine overlap with the 2011 Manual's chapters on examination and with the statutory time-line. For the time limits at each stage, always use our guide on the time limits at every stage; for the Manual's version of the examination stage see Manual Chapter 4. For the statutory overview see the GI registration process. Our geographical indication registration page explains how we manage a file through these stages.
The eight filing steps in the draft (part D)
1. Forms and fee. The draft says to use the prescribed application forms as applicable and to pay the prescribed fee. It names four versions of the form, split by Indian or foreign applicant and single or multiple class, but the form and the fee are matters of the Rules; take them from the First Schedule and the rule on the form of the application.
2. Language. The applicant selects a primary language and fills the form in it; the portal, the draft says, shows the entries in a second language through an auto-transliteration tool, which the applicant can edit. The two languages are English and Hindi.
3. Signing. The draft says a registered GI agent, an authorised signatory of the producer association, or, for a company, organisation or authority, a principal officer authorised to sign may sign. The statutory rule is in rule 23.
4. Filing. The draft says the application may be filed online or by physical mode at the Registry in Chennai, and that a new e-filing service with online tracking would be available from 15 September 2026.
5. Preliminary examination. The Registry checks whether the form and documents are complete. If anything is missing it issues a preliminary examination report; the applicant replies fully, and if the reply does not address the issues the draft says the Registry may schedule a show-cause hearing.
6. Review by experts. The draft says the Registrar may form a Consultative Group of up to seven experts to check the claims on product, origin and special features; the applicant may be asked to present; and an examination report may follow.
7. Publication and opposition. An accepted application is published in the GI Journal and any person may oppose within the permitted period.
8. Registration and renewal. The draft says that if there is no opposition in the prescribed period, or an opposition is decided in favour of the applicant, the GI is registered and a certificate issued, and that registration is currently valid for ten years and renewable.
The nine stages inside the Registry (part E)
| Stage | What the draft describes | What the applicant does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Filing and receipt | A unique application number is given and the applicant is informed; for online filing, acknowledgement and number come by SMS or email | Keep the acknowledgement; the example number printed in the draft is only illustrative |
| 2 Scanning and data entry | The Registry digitises the file and checks entries | Check that the data on the portal matches the papers |
| 3 Formality check | An officer checks the form, statement of case and documents against the Act and Rules and issues a formal report if something is missing | Read the report on the day it arrives |
| 4 Reply to the formality report | The applicant replies; an incomplete reply may lead to a show-cause hearing | File a complete reply |
| 5 Review by experts | Consultative Group of up to seven, headed by the Registrar | Prepare a presenter who knows the product |
| 6 Examination report | Group recommendations go to the Registrar, who may accept, accept with conditions or object | Plan the reply with evidence |
| 7 Reply to examination report | The Registry reviews the reply | Reply in full and in time |
| 7A Show-cause hearing | If objections remain; notice in advance; decision by email and post | Attend through an agent or as allowed |
| 8 Publication in the GI Journal | Accepted application is advertised; opposition window opens | Read the advertised text for errors |
| 9 Registration | If no opposition, or the opposition fails, registration follows unless the applicant withdraws or acceptance or advertisement is withdrawn | Prepare certified copies and authorised users |
The draft gives time references at some stages: that the expert group reports generally within three months of formation, that advertisement is ordinarily within three months of acceptance, and that the advertisement remains open for four months. These are the draft's words. The Rules as now in force decide the opposition period and the extensions; see rules 41 and 42 on notice of opposition in our opposition guide, and rules 33 and 34 on examination and rules 38 to 40 on advertisement. The statutory registration provision is section 16.
Where the draft and the Rules may differ
The draft's single "four months" for opposition should be read against the Rules, which give a three-month period that can be extended by up to a month on request. A producer body should therefore calendar from the Rules and the Registry's notice, not from the draft. The same applies to every period quoted in the draft. The Act and the Rules prevail.
The draft's stages also describe the Registry's internal handling; they create no right to a hearing, a period or a decision beyond what the Rules provide.
Help for the applicant
The draft ends with a note on contacts: weekly open-house sessions of the Office of the Controller General, a helpdesk portal, a helpline number and an email address, for queries on filing, status and deficiencies. Check ipindia.gov.in for the current details.
A worked example
The Kaveripur Basket Weavers' Cooperative (an invented body) files online. The portal gives an application number by SMS and email.
At the formality-check stage, the Registry's report notes that one affidavit lacks a date. The cooperative's coordinator reads it the day it arrives, has the affidavit corrected and files a complete reply. At the expert-review stage, two weavers and the cooperative's counsel present. After the examination report, the cooperative replies in full and is not called to a show-cause hearing. When the application is advertised, the cooperative reads the text for errors and calendars the opposition period from the Rules.
Common lapses
- Treating the draft's stages as statutory rights.
- Taking the opposition period from the draft.
- Missing the formality report because the portal email is unattended.
- An incomplete reply that invites a show-cause hearing.
- Assuming registration follows automatically after the opposition window.
Need help with a live application?
If your application is in the Registry and you have received a report or hearing notice, we can help prepare the reply and track the periods. See our geographical indication registration service.
Key takeaways
- The draft describes eight filing steps and nine Registry stages.
- A formality report and an examination report each need a complete and timely reply.
- A show-cause hearing may follow an incomplete reply or unresolved objections.
- Periods in the draft, including the four-month opposition window, should be checked against the Rules.
- The Act and the Rules govern until anything is finalised.
Read next
- Draft filing guidelines 2026: checklist of documents and online filing
- Manual Chapter 4: examination, Examination Report and advertisement
- Draft filing guidelines 2026: who can apply and the producer body
- Term of a GI registration and renewal
Disclaimer: Based on the documents of the Geographical Indications Registry named in the article (the Manual of Geographical Indications Practice and Procedure, Version 01.11 of 26 July 2011, and the draft guidelines published for comments in October 2025 and September 2026), as consulted on 4 October 2026. A draft is not final; none of these documents has the force of law; the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and the Rules of 2002 as now in force prevail and the current position should be checked on ipindia.gov.in. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.