India's GI Tags: 5 Arts and Crafts That Machines Can't Replace

A GI tag, or Geographical Indication, is a formal recognition that a product’s quality, origin, and reputation are tied to a specific location. In India, GI tags protect traditional knowledge and regional craftsmanship that has been passed down through generations, safeguarding its cultural identity.

Among today’s mass-produced, machine-made items, did you know that India has over 600 GI-tagged products, with more than 300 of them being handicrafts? 

These tags protect traditional arts and crafts by legally linking them to their specific geographical origins and unique qualities. They make sure that artisans who have preserved these practices for generations receive credit and visibility. Without this recognition, such crafts are often mass-produced or falsely misrepresented.

GI tags help preserve an entire heritage, and when we support them, we help sustain ecosystems of culture and economy. We list five Indian arts and crafts carrying GI tags, just five out of hundreds and hundreds of others, to show why each one matters.

1. Cheriyal Painting from Telangana

Cheriyal paintings are scroll paintings from Telangana, often described as folk storytelling on canvas. Traditionally, they were used as visual aids to narrate epics, moral tales, and local legends. They are made on hand-treated cloth using natural colours, with stylised figures that bring stories to life. Cheriyal is meant to be expressive, which made it ideal for oral storytelling traditions. The art form received a GI tag in 2008, and today only a few families continue to practice it. The tag helps preserve its visual language and gives artisans access to a wider audience, though it still faces the risk of becoming endangered.

(Image Credit: Cheriyal Scroll Painting, D. Vaikuntam, Hyderabad, Telangana - Google Arts & Culture)

2. Pipli Appliqué Work from Odisha

This 12th-century decorative textile art from Pipli village involves stitching bright patches of cloth into intricate motifs featuring elephants, peacocks, flowers, and temple shapes. Originally, the craft was used to create canopies and ceremonial decorations, but today it appears in everything from wall hangings and umbrellas to bags and home décor. The GI tag, granted in 2008, gave legal recognition to the artisans of Pipli who had long struggled against mass-produced imitations.

(Image Credit: Applique Craft Pipli, Odisha - Documentation and Archive)

3. Aranmula Kannadi from Kerala

Unlike any other mirror in the world, the Aranmula Kannadi is made not of glass but of a secret metal alloy that reflects images with zero distortion. The exact composition of this alloy remains a closely guarded secret, passed down through generations of craftsmen in Aranmula village, Kerala. Creating a single mirror can take several days or even weeks, as it involves meticulous casting and hand polishing. These mirrors are considered sacred in Kerala households. In 2004–05, the Aranmula Kannadi received a GI tag to ensure that the tradition remains rooted in its place of origin. 

(Image Credit: Aranmula Kannadi - Kerala GI Products)

4. Madhubani Paintings from Bihar

Madhubani, also known as Mithila painting, is an art form, a storytelling method that has lived on walls, floors, and now canvases for centuries. Traditionally practiced by women in the Mithila region of Bihar, Madhubani is known for its fine linework, natural colours, and intricate motifs depicting mythological stories and nature. Artists use brushes made from twigs or even their fingers, and colours are extracted from plants. The GI tag, has helped elevate Madhubani from rural homes to international art galleries, without losing its identity. Today, many women earn their livelihood from this art.

(Image Credit: Madhubani Painting-Pinterest)

5. Kangra Miniature Painting from Himachal Pradesh

Kangra paintings are known for their delicate brushwork, soft colour palettes, and themes drawn from classical poetry. This style emerged in the 18th century in the Kangra Valley as a refinement of earlier Pahari miniature styles. The painters use natural pigments and handmade brushes to achieve detail so fine that even facial expressions are painted under a magnifying lens. These artworks often feature lush green landscapes, rivers, and palace scenes, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. In 2012, Kangra painting received a GI tag, which helped formally distinguish it from other miniature styles.

(Image Credit: Pleasures of the Hunt, The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

These crafts are living histories, told through the hands of artisans who have carried forward skills, stories, and identities across centuries. GI tags give them protection, but it is our awareness and choices that give them a future. When we do not talk about handmade or support a GI-tagged product, we risk endangering these traditions and no one will pass them on to the future.

And for what? Just so that another factory-made product can look the same in every corner of the world? In today’s time we really need to ask ourselves if our future has to be filled with cheap, lifeless copies. Keeping these crafts alive means centuries-old legacies can endure and future generations can appreciate them too.