Ministry of MSME and DPIIT Sign MoU to Boost Global Reach of India's GI Products

The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) signed a Memorandum of Understanding on August 5, 2026, at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi. The agreement was signed by Md. Salik Parwaiz from MSME and Shri Karan Thapar from DPIIT's IPR Division, with senior officials from both sides present. This move aims to give India's Geographical Indication (GI) products a real economic push, helping them move beyond regional recognition into commercially viable, export-ready businesses.

What Is the Ministry of MSME and DPIIT MoU About?

1. DPIIT handles the legal registration and protection of GI products under the Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999, while MSME focuses on supporting small enterprises, traditional industries, and artisans.
2. Both ministries recognised that legal protection alone isn't enough turning these products into scalable businesses needs coordinated support. 
3. This MoU essentially bridges DPIIT's intellectual property mandate with MSME's enterprise development role.

What Will the Ministry of MSME and DPIIT MoU Provide?

1. The partnership will focus on quality standardisation, market access, and export readiness for GI products. 
2. Both organisations will work to integrate the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative into their programmes, co-sponsor GI Pavilions at trade expos and buyer-seller meets both in India and abroad, and support digital enablement along with capacity building for producer groups.

Who Will Benefit From the Ministry of MSME and DPIIT MoU?

The primary beneficiaries are indigenous artisans, weavers, and producer collectives behind India's GI products. By connecting them to bigger markets and digital platforms, the initiative supports the broader goals of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Vocal for Local, while strengthening livelihoods tied to India's traditional crafts and industries.

'Bharat GI' Banner Launched

As part of this collaboration, GI collectives and authorised users will be brought onto major digital platforms, the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM), under a common "Bharat GI" banner. This shared identity is meant to give artisans and producers better visibility while making it easier for buyers to discover and trust authentic GI products online.