24/08/2026
India’s GI products are closely linked to the skills, traditions and identities of different regions. But for many artisans, weavers and small producers, taking these products beyond local markets can still be a challenge. The Ministry of MSME and the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) have now signed an MoU aimed at helping GI products become more commercially viable and reach wider domestic and international markets.
Under the collaboration, the two organisations will work on:
• Bringing GI collectives and authorised users onto ONDC and GeM under a dedicated ‘Bharat GI’ banner
• Improving quality standardization and commercial readiness of GI products
• Strengthening the One District One Product (ODOP) ecosystem
• Supporting capacity building and digital enablement for artisans, weavers and producer collectives
• Setting up dedicated GI Pavilions at national and international trade expos
• Creating opportunities through buyer-seller meets and exhibitions to improve domestic and global market access
For MSMEs and producer collectives working with GI-tagged products, these initiatives could create more structured routes to digital marketplaces, institutional buyers and larger markets. The focus is not only on protecting the regional identity of these products, but also on helping businesses build the quality and market access needed to scale commercially.
For small businesses associated with traditional products, it may therefore be useful to understand whether their products are GI-registered, whether they qualify as authorised users, and how upcoming Bharat GI, ONDC, GeM and ODOP initiatives could support their market expansion.
Source: Ministry of MSME, Press Information Bureau
(MSMEs, Protium Finance, Bharat GI, Geographical Indications, GI Products, ONDC, GeM, ODOP, Artisans, Small Business, Market Access, Vocal for Local, MSME Monday)