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.
After the preliminary examination is complete, a GI application moves into substantive examination. Chapter 4 of the Manual (paragraphs 04.03 to 04.06) describes how the Registrar tests the statement of case through a Consultative Group, issues an Examination Report, deals with amendments, accepts the application and has it advertised.
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.
Once deficiencies are cleared, the Registrar ordinarily constitutes a Consultative Group to test the particulars in the statement of case, then issues an Examination Report that may object or propose conditional acceptance. The applicant must comply, give written observations or ask for a hearing within the period the Rules prescribe, or the application can be dismissed. An accepted application is advertised in the GI Journal. Periods, forms and fees come from the Rules as now in force, which prevail over the Manual.
Where this chapter sits
Preliminary examination and deficiencies are covered in our guide on the documents checklist and preliminary examination. This guide starts after that point; our geographical indication registration service covers the whole route. The statutory basis is in rules 33 and 34 on examination, the Consultative Group, objection and hearing. Every period in this chapter is set out in our guide on time limits at every stage; do not take a number from the Manual alone.
The Consultative Group (Manual 04.03.01)
The Manual says the Registrar ordinarily constitutes a Consultative Group of not more than seven members to ascertain the correctness of the particulars furnished in the statement of case. The Registrar chairs it. The other members are drawn from organisations, authorities or persons well versed in GI law or in the field concerned.
As a matter of practice, the Manual says, meetings are held at the Chennai Registry and at the Intellectual Property Offices in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata, and elsewhere where the situation warrants. The applicant is invited to make a detailed presentation explaining its statement of case. The Group may recommend amendments, corrections or further documents, and may visit the production area to check the particulars on the ground. The Manual notes that the proceeding is ordinarily completed within a stated period from constitution; treat that as an expectation of the Registry, not a statutory deadline.
What the applicant should bring is the working knowledge of the product: the person who presents should be able to explain the area boundary, the method of production, the inspection arrangement and the historical proof without reading from the file. A producer representative should attend along with the legal adviser, since the Group may ask how the product is actually made.
The Examination Report and the reply (Manual 04.03.01, items 6 to 9)
On the Group's observations the Registrar considers the application on merits and issues an Examination Report. The Manual says it may contain objections to acceptance, or a proposal to accept subject to conditions, amendments, modifications or limitations.
The applicant then has three choices within the period the Rules prescribe: comply with the proposals, submit written observations, or apply for a hearing. The Manual states the consequence plainly: if the applicant neither amends nor files observations, nor asks for a hearing, or does not attend the hearing, the application shall be dismissed. The period itself and the hearing mechanics are in the rule post and the time-limits guide.
A good reply answers the objection point by point, in the order of the report, and attaches evidence for each point. Where the Report proposes a condition, say whether the society accepts it; if it does not, say why and ask for a hearing instead of staying silent.
Correction and amendment (Manual 04.04)
An applicant may seek correction of an error or amendment of the application before registration, whether before or after acceptance, on the form and fee prescribed. The limit is the one the Manual stresses: an amendment that relates to the indication itself, the description of the goods or the defined territory, region or locality, and which would substantially alter or substitute the original application, will not be allowed. Rule text is in rules 35 and 36 on the Registrar's decision and correction and amendment.
This is why the original filing matters. A typographical error in the applicant's address can be corrected; moving the boundary of the area to bring in a neighbouring district will not be.
Acceptance (Manual 04.05)
The Registrar may accept absolutely or subject to amendments, modifications, conditions or limitations. Where there are objections or a conditional acceptance, they are communicated to the applicant, and the Manual says the grounds, and the materials used to reach the decision, shall be recorded. Withdrawal of acceptance is a separate power, dealt with in sections 12 and 13.
Advertisement in the GI Journal (Manual 04.06)
The Registrar publishes accepted applications and authorised-user applications in the GI Journal, which the Manual says is ordinarily made available in the first week of every month through the official website. The Manual lists what an advertisement carries: the indication and its logo where there is one, the application number, the applicant's name and address, the list of associations, producers or organisations, the type of goods and class, and the statement of case. The rule on advertisement and notification of correction is in rules 38 to 40. The Manual mentions a price for a CD-ROM of the Journal; do not rely on it, as charges are fixed by the Rules as now in force.
Publication starts the opposition window, so the statement of case published is the one anyone will test. Our next guide in this series, on opposition, picks up from there.
What has changed since the Manual
The Manual's account of the Consultative Group, the report and the Journal remains a fair description of how an examiner reads a file, but its forms, fees and any printed period are those of 2011. The First Schedule was substituted in 2025, so take any fee from the First Schedule. The Act and Rules as now in force prevail.
Checklist for the examination stage
| Step | What to prepare |
|---|---|
| Consultative Group notice | A presenter who knows the product, map in hand, documents indexed |
| Production-area visit | Producers and records available for inspection |
| Examination Report | Point-by-point reply with evidence, filed within the prescribed period |
| Hearing request | Written request where the society wishes to be heard |
| Amendment | Only for errors; no change that alters the GI, goods or area |
| Acceptance | Check conditions and limitations carefully |
| Journal | Read the advertised statement of case for errors |
A worked example
The Kaveripur Jaggery Producers' Cooperative (an invented body) receives an Examination Report. It states that the area described includes two villages for which no historical evidence was filed, and proposes acceptance only if those villages are removed.
The cooperative first calls a meeting with members from the two villages. They produce temple records and traders' ledgers that show jaggery made there for generations, and the cooperative files these as evidence with a written reply, also asking for a hearing. It does not try to enlarge the area and does not rewrite the product description. If it had wanted a different boundary, an amendment would have been refused as a substantial alteration. The Registrar decides after the reply and the hearing, and records reasons in either case.
Need help with an Examination Report?
A reply is a short document with long consequences, and the period for it is strict. If your society has received a report or has been called before the Consultative Group, our team can help prepare the reply and the presentation. See our geographical indication registration service.
Key takeaways
- The Consultative Group tests the statement of case and may visit the production area.
- The Examination Report may object or propose conditional acceptance.
- Silence or non-attendance can lead to dismissal; reply or ask for a hearing in time.
- An amendment cannot substantially change the indication, goods or area.
- Acceptance is followed by advertisement in the GI Journal, which opens opposition.
Read next
- Manual Chapter 3: who may apply, jurisdiction and types of application
- Manual Chapter 6: opposition to a GI application
- Draft filing guidelines 2026: from filing to registration and the nine stages
- GI registration process: application to certificate
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.