Art & Culture

Mandu's Khurasani Imli (baobab fruit) gets a GI tag

Sunday, 21 June 2026 5 min readSource: The Economic TimesArticle 5 of 13

Khurasani Imli, the fruit of the iconic baobab tree found in Mandu (Dhar district, Madhya Pradesh), has been awarded a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, officials confirmed on June 21, 2026. The recognition protects the heritage species and is expected to boost the fruit's branding and marketing while creating new income streams for the local tribal communities who have nurtured the baobab for generations. The GI tag legally ties the product's identity to its place of origin, raising its profile and market value while safeguarding the rare, centuries-old tree.

Key Facts & Details

8 points

1
Khurasani Imli, fruit of the baobab tree in Mandu, Madhya Pradesh, received a GI tag (June 21, 2026).
2
Mandu is in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh.
3
The tag will boost branding, marketing and tribal livelihoods.
4
A GI tag ties a product's identity to its geographical origin.
5
It helps protect the rare, heritage baobab species.

Deep Dive

+
The baobab is an iconic, long-living tree not native to India, historically linked to Mandu.
+
GI tags are a form of intellectual-property protection administered under the GI of Goods Act, 1999.
+
The tag prevents misuse of the name by producers outside the region.

Exam Focus

Khurasani Imli, which received a GI tag in June 2026, is the fruit of which tree and from which state?

Exam Relevance & Angle

GI tags — the product and its state — are among the most reliably asked Art & Culture / economy items in GA sections, and a distinctive item like Mandu's baobab fruit is easy, high-recall material.

Target Exams

SBI POIBPS POSSC CGLSSC CHSLRRB NTPCUPSC CSEState PCS

Background & Context

A Geographical Indication (GI) is a form of intellectual-property right that identifies goods as originating from a specific place, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic is essentially attributable to that origin. In India, GIs are governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, administered by the GI Registry in Chennai under the office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. Mandu, a historic town in Madhya Pradesh, is known for its baobab trees (locally called Khurasani Imli or 'imli'), believed to have been introduced centuries ago. A GI tag protects such products from imitation and supports the livelihoods of local producers.