GI-Tagged Rice in India: Which Non-Basmati Varieties Belong to Which State

You spot "Gobindobhog" or "Joha" on a rice pack and pay a little more for it. But how do you know the grain really came from Bengal or Assam? Most buyers never check.

This guide maps India's GI-tagged non-basmati rices by state. It also explains what the tag protects, and what to ask before you buy or sign a contract.

The problem: "non-basmati" hides some very local rices

Most people hear "non-basmati" and think of bulk export grades like IR-64 or Sona Masuri. We covered those in our earlier state-by-state guide.

A smaller group of regional rices is different. They carry a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, which ties the name to a defined area, much like "Darjeeling" is tied to tea.

Researchers presenting at a 2025 GI conference counted 27 rice GIs in India, basmati included, spread across more than a dozen states.

What a GI tag means in law

The name belongs to a place

India's Geographical Indications of Goods Act, 1999 came into force in 2003. Under it, only registered users of a GI can use that name on the product. Using it for rice from outside the area counts as infringement.

Registration lasts ten years at a time

The Act sets GI registration at ten years, renewable. An authorised user's registration also lasts ten years, or until the GI itself expires, whichever comes first.

India's GI non-basmati rices, state by state

Kerala: the biggest cluster

• Navara (Palakkad): a medicinal rice, used in the Ayurvedic Navarakizhi treatment.
• Palakkadan Matta (Palakkad): parboiled, bold grains with a red outer layer.
• Pokkali (coastal Alappuzha, Thrissur, Ernakulam): salt-tolerant, grown in rotation with prawn farming.
• Wayanad Jeerakasala, Wayanad Gandhakasala and Kaipad complete Kerala's list.

The Northeast: Assam and Manipur

• Joha (Assam): short, fine aromatic grains.
• Boka Chaul (Lower Assam): the "magic rice" that softens after a soak in water, with no cooking.
• Chokuwa (Assam): Assam's third GI rice.
• Chak-Hao (Manipur): a black, sticky rice that turns purple when cooked.

East: West Bengal and Bihar

• Gobindobhog (Bardhaman, West Bengal) and Tulaipanji (Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal), both aromatic.
• Katarni (Bhagalpur, Banka and Munger, Bihar): small grains with a strong aroma.

West and Central India

• Ambemohar (Mulshi, Pune): the name means "mango blossom" in Marathi, after its smell.
• Ajara Ghansal (Maharashtra).
• Balaghat Chinnor (Madhya Pradesh): the state's first agricultural GI, in 2021.
• Jeeraphool (Surguja, Chhattisgarh): small grains that look like cumin seeds.

North: Uttar Pradesh

• Kalanamak (Siddharthnagar and nearby eastern districts): a black-husked rice often called "Buddha rice".

The solution: four checks before you buy or contract

1. Ask for proof of authorised use. The seller, or its supplier, should be a registered user of that GI.
2. Match the district. The origin on the invoice or contract should fall inside the GI area.
3. Check the dates. Registrations run for ten years, so confirm they are current.
4. Plan for small lots. Many of these rices yield little. Katarni gives about 1 to 1.5 tonnes per hectare. Don't expect bulk-export volumes.

Takeaway

A GI name on a pack is a legal claim about where the rice grew. Treat it like one. Ask for the paperwork, match the district, and you will pay GI prices only for GI rice.