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Jyoti
Research Scholar
Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics
University of Delhi, Delhi, India
Prof B. W. Pandey
Professor
Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics
University of Delhi, Delhi, India
ABSTRACT
Geographical Indications (GIs) have become an important means of protecting products that owe their character to a particular place. They guard traditional producers against imitation, help them earn a fair return for distinctive goods, and keep alive the knowledge and skills on which those goods depend. For remote mountain regions with few other competitive advantages, a GI can also link local livelihoods to wider markets. India gave legal force to this form of protection through the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, and 697 GIs have been registered in the country by 2025.
Himachal Pradesh holds 11 registered GIs, including Basmati, which it shares with other northern states, covering handicrafts, agricultural produce and a manufactured good from five districts. This study traces the evolution of GI recognition in the state. It examines the Kinnauri Shawl as a detailed case study. Using a descriptive-analytical approach based on GI Registry records, government gazetteers and field observation, it explores how the high altitude, rain-shadow aridity, long winters and isolation of Kinnaur have shaped the materials, production calendar and design of the shawl, and how indigenous knowledge, high-altitude pastoralism and Buddhist-Hindu symbolism have given it a distinct cultural identity.
The results show that GI registration has given formal recognition to the geographical and cultural distinctiveness of products from across the state. In the case of the Kinnauri Shawl, it has strengthened legal protection, but its benefits for weavers depend on wider producer participation, effective quality control, a secure supply of local wool and better access to markets. The paper concludes by proposing policy interventions in these areas to help GI protection support heritage conservation and rural livelihoods in Himalayan regions.
Keywords: Geographical Indications, Kinnauri Shawl, Traditional Knowledge, Himachal Pradesh, Intellectual Property, Cultural Heritage, High-Altitude Pastoralism, Climate,
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