King of mangoes ‘Alphonso’ gets GI tag

The government has granted Geographical Indication (GI) tag to the Alphonso Mango from Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg and other adjoining areas in Maharashtra, a move that will help identify the authenticity of this variety of fruit.

A 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.

“Such a name conveys an assurance of quality and distinctiveness which is essentially attributable to its origin in that defined geographical locality,” commerce and industry ministry said in a release on Friday.


The king of mangoes, Alphonso, better known as ‘Hapus’ in Maharashtra, is in demand in domestic and international markets for its taste, pleasant fragrance and vibrant colour.

“It has long been one of the world's most popular fruit and is exported to various countries including Japan, Korea and Europe,” the ministry said. New markets such as the US and Australia have recently opened up.

The first product to get a GI tag in India was the Darjeeling tea in 2004. There are a total of 325 products from India that carry this indication including Mahabaleshwar Strawberry, Blue Pottery of Jaipur, Banarasi Sarees and Tirupati Laddus.