India, July 26 -- In a landmark achievement that positions Madhya Pradesh at the vanguard of agricultural intellectual property protection in India, twelve of the State's horticultural crops have received Geographical Indication tags in a single instance - the first time any State in the country has secured GI recognition for such a substantial cluster of horticultural produce simultaneously.

The development carries far-reaching implications for tens of thousands of farmers whose livelihoods are anchored to these regionally distinctive crops, endowing their produce with legally enforceable provenance protection and opening the pathway to premium pricing in domestic and international markets.

The GI tag is not a mere certification. It is...