Pochampally Ikat has GI tag and in the next few months, tandoor red gram (toor dal) is likely to get GI tag for agricultural produce. The GI tag application for Deccani biryani was dropped in 2017, but that hasn’t deterred copycats and fans from using the tag of ‘Hyderabadi Dum Biryani’, be it on the streets of Gurugram in Haryana or Odisha. In the streets of Nizamuddin or Berhampur, the name Hyderabadi Biryani is sold.
“Hyderabadi Biryani has more spice, Moradabadi has less. We make both,” says a biryani maker in Nizamuddin. But in the absence of GI tag, one can sell it as Hyderabadi Biryani by mixing meat and rice anywhere. “The association members who tried to get the GI tag for Hyderabad biryani did not want to share the formula. He believed that if all the details were shared it could be replicated by others. All of them have minor changes in the formula,” said a restaurant owner.
“In the instant application, the applicant failed to prove the historical origin of the product along with supporting documents and failed to utilize the opportunities provided during the show cause hearing,” the committee that examined the GI tag application said. Connoisseur of Deccani Biryani Maker Association.
But for a successful GI tag, the steps are easy to navigate:
1) Application showing: a sign that identifies such goods as agricultural goods, natural goods or manufactured goods, which are manufactured or manufactured on the territory of a country, or in an area or locality in that territory.
2) Historical and supporting documents
3) Map showing the area in which the product is manufactured
4) Preliminary Screening and Examination
5) Publication in Geographical Indications Journal: Each application is published in Geographical Indications Journal within three months
6) Opposing Registration: Any person can file a notice of opposition within three months (extendable by one more month on request which is to be filed before three months) opposing the GI application published in the Journal.
7) Registration of GI Tag