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 three prerequisites in the September 2026 draft Guidelines for Filing a GI Application concern what happens after the paperwork: how the product is made, what makes it unique, and how the community will keep the standard through an inspection body and records. This article sets out what the draft proposes and how a producer body can prepare.
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 proposes that the producer group fix common rules for production, describe each stage from raw material to presentation, base its claim of uniqueness on facts that can be checked, and set up an inspection body or system that checks three things: raw materials and process, traceability, and the final product. Simple logbooks and delivery certificates can start the traceability. None of this is a legal requirement yet: the Act and the Rules as amended in 2020 and 2025 govern.
Why the draft puts this in the application
A GI is a collective right, and the draft says that every producer using the name carries a responsibility for its quality. If poor or different goods are sold under the name, the whole community's reputation suffers. That is why the draft links the application to the standard the community will hold itself to. The statutory content of the application, including the statement of case, is in rule 32, and the draft's earlier parts on the specification, area and proof of origin lead into this one. For help turning the standard into a file, see our geographical indication registration service.
The method of production (draft part A, item 9)
The draft says the producer group should establish clear common rules that describe what makes the product different from similar products and how quality will be maintained. It lists what the description should cover, wherever relevant: raw materials; physical features such as shape, size, weight, appearance, design or finish; the form of sale (fresh, dried, preserved or processed); chemical features such as permitted additives and residues; biological features such as fermentation; sensory features; the production process, stage by stage from sourcing to processing, finishing and storage; and the final presentation, meaning how the product is packed, labelled and shown to buyers.
The test it sets is practical: the description should be clear enough for producers, buyers and inspectors to understand what a genuine product is like, and should make all authorised producers follow the same basic standards. A method that only the master craftsman can explain is not yet a community standard.
Uniqueness (item 10)
The draft proposes that the application explain what makes the product special and different from similar products made elsewhere, on facts that can be checked: special raw materials, traditional skills, methods, design, appearance, quality, taste or texture, and how these link to the area and to the knowledge of the local community. The draft's emphasis on verifiable facts means adjectives such as "famous" or "unmatched" will not carry the point.
The inspection body and quality control (item 11)
The draft says a GI is valuable only when people can trust that goods sold under the name are genuine and meet the agreed standards. Common rules for production, processing, packaging and sale would help identify a genuine product, make producers follow agreed practices, stop sale of lower-quality or differently made goods under the name, protect reputation and income, and give buyers confidence of origin.
An inspection body, in the draft, is the organisation or arrangement that checks whether producers follow the specification and other rules; it may also provide certification. The system should suit the product, the market and the community: in small local markets buyers may know the producers personally, but when goods go to distant markets, online or to many customers, a more organised system is needed.
The draft proposes that the body or system verify three things.
| Check | What is verified |
|---|---|
| Raw materials and process | Approved materials used and the described method followed |
| Traceability | Records showing that the product comes from the recognised area and a genuine producer |
| Final product | Quality, appearance, labelling, packing, taste, texture or other relevant features |
Traceability, the draft explains, means showing where a product came from and who made it, and can begin with simple records: a register or logbook from the GI association where producers note quantities and types produced and sold; buyers who sign the record on purchase; and a delivery certificate signed by producer and buyer and kept as proof of supply.
What the draft does not say
It does not set up a body, prescribe its qualifications or give it legal powers. Whatever arrangement the community creates is its own, and must sit within the Act, the Rules and any requirement of the Registry as notified. Misuse of a registered indication is dealt with by the Act's provisions, and the later draft guidelines on logo use, summarised in our guide on who may use a registered GI and the logo, approach the topic from the user's side.
Building the community standard: a checklist
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Write the method of production in stages, in language producers use |
| 2 | List raw materials and permitted variants |
| 3 | State measurable quality markers for the final product |
| 4 | Decide who inspects: the association's committee, an external body or both |
| 5 | Introduce a producer logbook and a buyer-signed delivery record |
| 6 | Train producers on the standard and record attendance |
| 7 | Decide how a non-conforming batch will be handled |
A worked example
The Kaveripur Handloom Weavers' Society (an invented body) has fifty looms. Its draft method of production says only that "traditional methods are used".
Using the draft's approach, the society rewrites it. It names the yarn, the dye source, the loom type, the pattern sequence and the finishing process. It states what is measurable, such as thread count and border width, and what is not visible but matters, such as the dyeing time. A small inspection committee, with an outside textile technician, will check yarn and dye before weaving, check the loom records, and check the finished cloth. Each weaver keeps a logbook; wholesale buyers sign for deliveries. When a buyer in another State asks how the society can prove origin, the logbooks answer.
For the product category, see our notes on GI for handicrafts and handloom products and on agricultural products.
Common lapses
- A method of production that says only that traditional methods are used.
- Claiming uniqueness without a checkable feature.
- Planning no inspection until after registration.
- No records that tie a finished product to a producer.
- Treating the draft's inspection proposals as already required by law.
Need help with a quality-control plan?
A written standard and a working inspection system help an application and protect the name afterwards. Our geographical indication registration team can help your society draft both.
Key takeaways
- The draft proposes common rules for production, written clearly enough for inspectors and buyers.
- Uniqueness should rest on facts that can be checked.
- An inspection body or system would check materials and process, traceability and the final product.
- Logbooks and delivery certificates can start traceability.
- The Act and the Rules, not the draft, govern until it is finalised.
Read next
- Draft filing guidelines 2026: specification, area and proof of origin
- Draft filing guidelines 2026: checklist of documents and online filing
- Draft logo guidelines 2025: who may use a registered GI and the logo
- Benefits of GI registration for farmers and artisans
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.