India's GI products are getting a digital route to market
A Geographical Indication tag protects a product's regional identity. It does not automatically create a brand, a supply chain or a customer.
That gap is what a new collaboration between the Ministry of MSME and DPIIT is trying to address. The organisations have announced a framework to help GI collectives and authorised users reach buyers through ONDC and GeM under a dedicated “Bharat GI” banner.
The official announcement also covers quality standardisation, capacity building, trade expos and buyer-seller meets. The idea is to move regional products from being protected on paper to being commercially discoverable.
A GI tag is a starting point, not a sales strategy
Customers may care that a product comes from a particular place, but they still need to know:
- what exactly they are buying
- who made it
- how it should be used or stored
- how long delivery will take
- whether the quality will be the same next time
- what happens if the item arrives damaged
For a producer collective, these answers are often spread across different members. One person knows the product, another knows the packaging, someone else handles orders and nobody has the full picture. That is the point at which a digital listing can look polished but fail operationally.
What producer groups should prepare
Agree on a common product description. Use one name, one set of specifications and one explanation of the product's origin. Buyers should not have to decode five versions of the same item.
Standardise the pack. Decide sizes, labels, batch information, shelf life, storage and shipping protection. Standardisation does not make a traditional product less authentic; it makes it easier to sell beyond the local market.
Record who supplied each batch. A simple lot number and supplier register can protect both the buyer and the producers when there is a quality complaint.
Calculate the full price. Include packaging, platform costs, transport, returns and the time needed to answer customers. “More visibility” is not the same as “more profit.”
Own the customer relationship. A marketplace can bring the first order. The collective needs a process for confirmation, dispatch, complaints, repeat orders and payments.
Why ONDC and GeM are relevant
ONDC can give a regional product more than one route to a customer, while GeM can create access to institutional and government buyers. Neither platform removes the need for good product information or dependable fulfilment.
The businesses that benefit most will probably be the ones that use the platforms as part of a larger system: catalogue, inventory, order handling, billing and customer support all connected enough that a sale does not disappear into a chat window.
The “Bharat GI” initiative is still a framework for collaboration, not a guarantee of sales for every listed product. But it is a useful signal for artisans, food producers and local manufacturers: regional identity is becoming an asset that can be distributed digitally, not just displayed at a fair.