Manual 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.
Chapter 12 of the Manual covers what happens at the end of a registration's term: how to renew, what notice the Registry gives, when an unrenewed indication is removed, and how it can be restored. It serves section 18 of the Act and rules 60 to 64.
The Manual (Version 01.11, 26 July 2011) is the GI Registry's guidance and does not have the force of law; the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 and the Rules of 2002 as now in force prevail. The current position should be checked on ipindia.gov.in.
Renewal of a registered indication is made on Form GI-4, and of an authorised user on Form GI 3B (the Manual still says Form GI-3, which the 2020 Rules replaced). It may be filed at any time not more than six months before expiry. The Registry sends a reminder one to three months before expiry. If renewal is not made, the Registrar may remove the entry and advertise it, but a late application inside six months stops removal, and restoration is possible after six months and within one year. The Rules as now in force prevail, including the 2025 fees.
What the chapter serves
The statutory provision is section 18 on duration, renewal, removal and restoration. The ten-year term is explained in our post on the term of a GI registration and renewal. This guide takes the Registry's practice step by step; for a plan to keep a registered indication alive, our geographical indication registration service can maintain a renewal calendar for you.
Renewal (Manual 12.01)
The Manual says an application for renewal is made on Form GI-4 for the indication or Form GI-3 for an authorised user, at any time not more than six months before the expiration of the last registration. Rule 60 is explained in rule 60 on renewal of registration, and the form is dealt with in our post on how to file the renewal form.
Change since 2011: the Amendment Rules, 2020 replaced Form GI-3 with separate forms for an authorised user's application and renewal. For renewal of an authorised user, the form is now Form GI 3B. The Act and Rules as now in force prevail over the Manual's form reference. The fee is the one in the First Schedule as substituted in 2025; no amount in the Manual should be used.
The rule post adds who files: the proprietor first, and only if the proprietor does not, an authorised user on record. A producer body that is winding up, or whose committee has changed, should settle who signs well before the window opens.
The Registry's notice (Manual 12.01, notice before removal)
If no renewal application with the prescribed fee has been received, the Registrar notifies the registered proprietor or authorised user in writing, not less than one month and not more than three months before expiry, of the approaching expiration and the renewal due. The Manual says the notice goes on a prescribed form, and, for an association of persons or producers, to each registered proprietor or to the person authorised to act for them. It is sent to the principal place of business in India as entered in the Register or, where there is none, to the address for service in India. The rule is in rule 61 on notice before removal.
The lesson for producers is that the notice goes to the address on the Register. A society that has moved office without updating its address may never see it. The notice is a courtesy; renewal remains the proprietor's duty.
Removal for non-payment
The Manual says that if the renewal fee has not been paid at the end of the last registration, the Registrar may remove the indication or the authorised user from the Register and advertise the fact forthwith in the Journal. The proviso protects a late applicant: the Registrar shall not remove the entry if an application on Form GI-4 is made within six months from the expiration of the last registration. In practice that late filing carries the extra charge described in the rule post on rules 62 to 64.
Restoration and renewal
An application for restoration to the Register and renewal is made on Form GI-4 after six months and within one year from the expiration of the last registration. The Manual states that on renewal, or on restoration and renewal, a notice goes to the registered proprietor or authorised user and the fact is advertised in the Journal.
| Stage | When | Form | Source of the period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary renewal | Not more than six months before expiry | GI-4 (indication); GI 3B (authorised user) | Rule 60 |
| Registry reminder | One to three months before expiry | Registry's notice | Rule 61 |
| Late renewal | Within six months after expiry, before removal | GI-4, with the additional fee as prescribed | Rules 62 to 64 |
| Restoration and renewal | After six months and within one year from expiry | GI-4 | Rule 63 |
| Notice and advertisement | After renewal or restoration | Registry | Rule 64 |
What has changed since the Manual
Two things. The authorised-user form is now Form GI 3B, as above. And every amount is now in the 2025 First Schedule, as explained in our post on the First Schedule. The six-month, three-month and one-year periods in the Manual agree with the rule posts linked above. The Act and Rules as now in force prevail.
A worked example
The Kaveripur Coir Craft Producers' Society (an invented body) registered its indication ten years ago and has twelve authorised users. The secretary assumes the Registry will send a bill.
The new secretary sets a calendar entry for the six-month window before expiry. She checks the Register for the society's address, which still shows the old office, and corrects it through the Registry's process. She files Form GI-4 for the indication in the window, and asks each authorised user to renew on Form GI 3B in good time. If the society had missed the window, she knows a late application within six months still prevents removal, and restoration remains open until a year after expiry.
Common lapses
- Waiting for a reminder from the Registry instead of filing within the window.
- Using the old Form GI-3 for an authorised user's renewal.
- Leaving an outdated address on the Register.
- Forgetting that each authorised user has a separate registration to renew.
- Using the fees printed in older documents.
Need help with renewal?
Missing the window turns a routine filing into a late one or a restoration. If you want a renewal calendar for your registered indication and its authorised users, speak to our geographical indication registration team.
Key takeaways
- Renew on Form GI-4 (indication) or Form GI 3B (authorised user) not more than six months before expiry.
- The Registry's reminder arrives one to three months before expiry, at the address on the Register.
- A late application within six months stops removal; restoration lies after six months and within one year.
- The Manual's authorised-user form and all fees are overtaken.
- Update the Register address and diarise each authorised user's date.
Read next
- Manual Chapter 7: registration, Part A entry and the certificate
- Manual Chapters 13 and 14: certified copies, review and GI agents
- Time limits at every stage of GI registration
- The authorised user's rights
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.