The paper assesses the applications filed for Geographical Indication (GI henceforth) tag in India in the classes 29 to 34
which for the purpose of this paper are referred to as ‘food-related applications’. It explores The Geographical Indications of
Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 (GI Act henceforth) of the Indian Constitution synchronically as it stands
now and suggests widening the scope of several terms like ‘reputation’ and ‘geographical’ which are decisive in granting GI
status to a product. The author carefully maneuvers an unexplored territory of legal theories supporting Intellectual Property
Rights and propounding that the theories support the rights of individuals and that ‘intellect’ is purely a human and not a
geographical virtue. Thus, the right to Geographical Indication needs a new perspective with an intent that maximum
products receive due protection with a streamlined and smooth process. The author also suggests adopting the nuances of the
process of obtaining the GI from the European Commission in a culturally-sensitive manner. Towards the end, the author
has briefly touched upon the role cultural and food anthropologists can play in bridging the gap between legal processes and
its beneficiaries and has also talked about the potential topics for further research.