Intellectual Property Rights

Assignment -2

Geographical Indication- Basmati Rice

Submitted to- Mr. Sumit Kumar

Asst Prof
NIFT Bhubaneswar
Submitted by- Yashaswini Raj
BFT/17/489
 What are Geographical Indications?
•A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a
specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that
are due to that origin.
•In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating
in a given place.
• Under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention for the Protection
of Industrial Property, geographical indications are covered as an
element of IPRs.
•They are also covered under Articles 22 to 24 of the Trade Related
Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, which was
part of the Agreements concluding the Uruguay Round of GATT
negotiations.
 Geographical Indication

Basmati Rice- the penchant of loyalty

 Introduction to Basmati Rice

•Basmati Rice is one of the best-known varieties of rice all across the globe.
•Basmati is a type of long, slightly grained, aromatic grain of rice, which is
grown in the Indian Subcontinent and certain parts of South Asia as well.
•India is the world’s leading producer and exporter of Basmati Rice and
according to 2014 statistics, India exported 65% of the total amount.
• Pakistan is second to India and makes up for the remaining 35% of the
export in the world market.
 History and Origin
•Basmati has a long and storied history.
•Fittingly for a grain of such unmatched quality, it has been a penchant of
royalty for centuries, having been enjoyed by all from the Maharajahs of
India to the Shahs of Imperial Persia.
•For thousands of years, basmati has grown in the foothills of the
Himalayas across India and Pakistan and pure basmati is a protected
product of the region.
•Basmati Rice transforms dishes into extraordinary meals.
•The earliest extant work to mention basmati rice is Heer Ranjha (1766).
•The full exposition of the word is from Hindi. Bas originating from Prakrit Vas which has a
sanskrit root- Vasay connoting aroma; and mati from mayup meaning ingrained from the origin.
•Common usage has changed Vas to Bas while joining bas and mayup the latter change to mati.

Basmati Rice has been cultivated at Various places in Pakistan for thousands of years. The rivers
Ravi and Sutluj irrigate the Basmati and Punjab respectively.

• Basmati first began to make global inroads in the Middle Ages when Indian traders brought the
grain to Persia and the Middle East at the height of the Mughal Empire, where the royalty and
nobility quickly became besotted with the luxurious rice.

•In the history books, the earliest mention of Basmati Rice was found in 1766. Indian traders
introduced Basmati Rice to the Middle East through cultural exchange and since then it has
become an important part of cuisine in Arab, Persian and other cuisines as well.

•Also known as the "Queen of Rice", this highly aromatic grain that is long and elegantly thin,
has originated from Vasumati which means earth recognized by its fragrance.
 Geography/Area Covered
India accounts for over 70% of the world's basmati rice production. A small portion of that
is being grown organically. Organisations such as Kheti Virasat Mission are trying to
increase the amount of basmati rice that is being grown in the Punjab in India.
In India
•The areas of basmati rice production in India are in the states
of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi and Bihar. India's total basmati production
for the July 2011–June 2012 crop year was 5 million tonnes.
•In India, Haryana is the major basmati rice cultivating state, producing more than 60
percent of the total basmati rice produced in India.
In Pakistan
In Pakistan, 95 percent of the basmati rice cultivation takes place in the Punjab Province
where total production was 2.47 million tonnes in 2010.
In Nepal
•Basmati rice is produced mainly in the Kathmandu Valley and the Terai region of Nepal.
Unique Nepali varieties of Basmati rice were barred from exporting to other parts of the
world although this bar might be lifted.
 Registration of Basmati Rice as GI

•The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) ordered Chennai based

Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) to issue ‘Geographical Indication’ tag for
Basmati Rice after seven years of petition.
•This GI tag will be issued to basmati rice variety grown in 7 states in the Indo-
Gangetic Plains (IGP) on the foothills of the Himalayas.
•These states are Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, parts of Uttar
Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. This tag will help to preserve the unique identity
of India’s aromatic Basmati Rice in the international markets.
 Basmati Rice GI Case

•The geographical indication (GI) registry over Basmati rice has sparked a row between the
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and the
Madhya Pradesh government, following the latter’s application for the GI registry of the central
Indian state for Basmati rice production.
Subsequently, India and Pakistan had initiated steps to register basmati under GI as ‘joint
heritage’ for protecting its premium market abroad. But that bid did not fructify due to
opposition within Pakistan.
•The states that have been issued the GI tag – mainly millers and farmers in Punjab and Haryana
– were vociferously opposed to extending the same to MP. Their contention was that the state
neither has a history nor the specific agro-climatic conditions suitable for basmati cultivation.
•The primary argument of the northern millers and farmers – supported by the scientific
community and bodies like APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export
Development Authority) – was that MP never had any tradition of basmati cultivation, a
prerequisite for grant of GI. “They started growing basmati only from the start of this century,
and hence should not be given GI.”
 Features of Basmati Rice

•It has been found in research studies that Basmati Rice has traces of the chemical
compound 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline and therefore the rice has a pandan like flavour and aroma
to it.
•Compared to other varieties of rice, Basmati has 0.09 ppm or 12 times less of this chemical
compound and therefore it has its unique spicy flavour and fragrance.
• The natural aroma found in Basmati is also found in cheese and certain cereals and fruits.
•The United States and the United Kingdom has approved this flavouring agent and
therefore bakeries across both the countries use it to aromatize their products.
 Special Qualities

•Long-slender grains
•Soft and fluffy texture upon cooking
•Delicious taste
•Superior aroma and distinct flavour
•It is also known as ‘scented pearl’ because it can transform even the most
ordinary deal into gourmet’s deal.
 Varieties of Basmati Rice

Varieties of Basmati Rice are:-

•Basmati 385
•Basmati 370
•R.S. Pura Basmati
•D-98
•PK 385
•Super Kernel Basmati Rice
•Basmati 198
•Basmati 515
Thank You