Bihar is rapidly emerging as a champion of its cultural heritage by securing Geographical Indication (GI) tags for its extraordinary products, with 14 already on the list. This movement is gaining momentum, especially with an influx of applications focusing on agriculture and culinary delights.
Patna: Bihar’s rich cultural traditions and diverse agricultural heritage are gradually finding formal recognition through Geographical Indication (GI) tags, though the state still lags far behind some of its neighbours in securing such protection for its distinctive products.
With 14 GI-tagged food items and artworks so far, Bihar has made visible progress in recent years. Yet, compared with states such as Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the journey towards wider recognition of its unique products remains incomplete.Encouragingly, growing awareness within the state agriculture department and support from two agricultural universities have triggered a renewed effort to secure GI tags for more products.
The initiative reflects a broader attempt to protect Bihar’s traditional knowledge systems while strengthening the economic potential of its local produce and crafts.At the national level, India has secured GI tags for 605 products across various categories since receiving its first-ever GI recognition for Darjeeling Tea in 2004-05. The list includes 342 handicraft products, 197 agricultural products, 18 manufactured goods, 45 food products and three natural products.
Over the years, the GI system has emerged as an important tool for safeguarding regional identity and promoting traditional industries.Uttar Pradesh currently leads with 74 GI-tagged products, followed by Tamil Nadu with 69. Bihar, despite its vast cultural and agricultural wealth, has only 14 such recognitions so far.The state’s GI journey began in 2007 when Madhubani Painting became the first product from Bihar to receive the tag.
Since then, several other items have joined the list. These include Bhagalpur silk, Sikki grass work, Khatwa patch work (appliqué), Sujni embroidery work, Pathakati stone art and Manjusha Art, all representing Bihar’s distinctive handicraft traditions.In the agricultural and food segments, products such as Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpuri Zardalu mango, Katarni rice, Marcha rice of West Champaran, Magahi paan and Mithila makhana have received GI recognition.
The well-known sweet delicacy Silao Khaja also carries the GI tag.Among these, Madhubani Painting — also known as Mithila painting — holds special prominence. It is counted among seven globally celebrated GI-tagged products from India, recognised for their unique regional quality and cultural significance. The other six include Darjeeling Tea, Basmati rice, Kashmir Pashmina, Alphonso mango, Banarasi sarees and Nagpur orange.Even as Bihar builds on these recognitions, the state is now attempting to expand its GI footprint significantly. As many as 28 fresh GI applications have recently been filed with the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. These filings cover a wide range of products, including traditional crop varieties, region-specific fruits and culturally rooted food preparations.Bihar Agricultural University (BAU) research director A K Singh said the crop segment in these applications includes premium rice varieties such as Sonachur, Kanakjeera, Jasua and Kessore.
Other proposed crops include Tipoya wheat, Tulbulia maize and pulses such as arhar and masoor, all known for their adaptation to local agro-ecological conditions and unique physico-chemical characteristics.The horticulture segment features Dudhiya Maldah mango of Patna, Bathua mango of Samastipur and Hajipur’s Chiniya banana. The food category highlights ethnic products such as Litti Chokha, Thekua, Tilauri, Barh’s laai and Pipra Khaja, which represent standardised traditional knowledge and localised processing techniques.Singh said, “Other filings, including singhara, Sita sindur and Champaran neel (indigo), reflect Bihar’s bio-cultural and artisanal diversity.”Officials in the state agriculture department say efforts are under way to secure GI recognition for more agricultural products. Assistant director (marketing) Yachna Shree said six agri-horticulture products of the state have already received GI tags, while four others — Patna’s Dudhiya Maldah mango, Bhagalpur Malbhog rice, Bathua mango of Samastipur and Sonachur rice of Rohtas district — are currently under consideration.“The department, in coordination with the agricultural university, is striving for securing GI tags on more and more agricultural products from the state,” Shree said.Bihar Agricultural University vice-chancellor D R Singh said another notable development is the growing number of authorised GI users in the state.“Parallel to the surge in GI filings, Bihar has also, of late, emerged as the leading state in India in terms of GI authorized users, registering 2,059 authorized users, surpassing Maharashtra by a margin of 295 users,” Singh said.The rising number of authorised users indicates stronger participation from farmers, artisans and producers — an essential factor in translating GI recognition into tangible economic gains.GI registration provides legal protection against misuse of traditional products while enabling producers to differentiate their goods in the market. It also supports premium pricing, enhances export potential and encourages rural enterprise development.According to Singh, Bihar’s strategy increasingly reflects a broader ecosystem approach rather than focusing only on registration. “Experts note Bihar’s approach reflects a shift from mere registration to ecosystem-based GI management integrating quality assurance, branding, and market linkage strategies,” he said.BAU PRO Rajesh Kumar said the growing pipeline of GI applications and expanding base of authorised users place Bihar in a promising position. “With a strong pipeline of GI applications and an expanding base of authorised users, Bihar is increasingly being seen as a model state for leveraging intellectual property rights in agriculture to drive inclusive rural growth and global market integration,” Kumar said.
