GiTAGGED®

From Certifications to Realizations - India's GI Story

Geographical Indications (GIs) look phenomenal on paper, but turning a legal certification into a thriving rural economy that creates a vibrant consumer world is a massive, highly complex challenge. The concept demands one individual to know and understand all of India by gaining firsthand experience of every region, their culture, the diversity and unifying them through GI Products.

The concept further requires, market understanding, product understanding, creating a robust supply chain from the remotest corners of India and eventually the efforts culminating in sales.

"We understood way back in 2015 that unless the concept of GI is practically conceptualized and marketed, its revival is impossible."

Against All Odds

"Having realized back in 2015 that product development is inherently linked to regional growth, Mr. Tejas S.J., CEO of GiTAGGED, conceptualized the idea of leveraging GI tags to drive community development. He began his mission with a two-month field visit to Bastar, Chhattisgarh, staying with a local artisan, Shri Ramnath Kashyap. He then expanded his journey across 23 Indian States and 2 Union Territories—a journey of over 10 years dedicated to knowledge co-creation and economic diversification at the grassroots level."

"It is noteworthy to mention that GiTAGGED was the first to represent Asia as speakers at the World Geographical Indications Summit in Ankara, Turkey, 2019, presenting on 'Innovative Models for Commercialization of Geographical Indications'.

Having successfully built the world’s first viable model for the revival and commercialization of GIs in India, Mr. Tejas is considered a pioneer of post-GI registration activities. Without his initiatives in revival, promotion, and marketing, GIs would have remained mere certifications on paper.

GI for the Masses

"We believe GI products belong to the masses, rather than being limited to a niche market. Our core economic model focuses on delivering high quality and authenticity with minimal profit margins, thereby ensuring continuous, year-round work at the grassroots level and consistent, fair pricing to the producer as well as the consumer."

We have joined hands with various Government of India bodies such as NHDC, MSME to create awareness on GI. In collaboration with NHDC, we have been part of GI Camps held at Ladakh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Telangana and Maharashtra. We have also been instrumental in significantly increasing the number of Authorized Users across India for many GI's.

To begin with, “Bringing together more than 230 GI Tagged products from the remotest corners of the country, under one unified brand and one roof, by personally traveling to over 300 places, across 23 Indian states and 2 union territories over a span of 10 years, is a feat unmatched anywhere in the world.”