The Mithila Makhana GI record documents a registered geographical indication. It helps identify the regional name, the applicant and the registration documents. It does not, by itself, connect a particular snack packet to that registration. A useful reading keeps three questions separate: what is registered, which entity a record names, and what evidence supports a seller's claim.
A geographical indication, or GI, connects goods with a place through qualities, characteristics or reputation associated with that origin. It is therefore more specific than a general description such as “traditional”. WIPO's explanation of geographical indications.
Start with application 696
We checked the official entry on 8 October 2026. Keep the application number when saving your notes: it makes the record easier to find again, even when a search returns several similar names.
| Field | Displayed information | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| GI name | Mithila Makhana | The indication this record concerns. |
| Application | 696 | The record identifier. |
| Status | Registered | The status observed on our check date. |
| Applicant | Mithilanchal Makhana Utpadak Sangh | The named applicant, rather than a list of sellers. |
| Filed | 14 August 2020 | The application date. |
| Certificate | 421; dated 16 August 2022 | A different document number and date. |
| Validity shown | 13 August 2030 | The displayed registration-validity endpoint. |
| Area summary | Bihar | A starting point for reading the geographical documents. |
Open the official Mithila Makhana application record. Recheck it before relying on a current status; this table is a dated reading.
Why do both 2020 and 2022 appear?
Journal 153 was published on 13 April 2022. That journal notice and the later certificate are separate stages. Official GI journal index.
The certificate itself says the registration is as of 14 August 2020, and that it was sealed on 16 August 2022. IP India's process explains the distinction: after registration, the application filing date is treated as the registration date. Keeping the date's label avoids turning a certificate milestone into a different event. Application 696, Document Details: certificate, page 1; IP India, registration step.
None of these dates establishes when makhana cultivation began or when a snack business was founded. Our Mithila history guide considers the regional story separately.
Applicant, proprietor and authorised user are different labels
On page 2 of the certificate, the Sangh is identified as the registered proprietor. That is a claim supported by the certificate, not something to assume solely from an applicant field. Application 696, certificate, page 2.
IP India separately explains that a producer can apply for registration as an authorised user. Its description of producers includes activities beyond growing alone, so the labels should not be reduced to “association versus farmer”. Read the entity name and the kind of record together. IP India's introduction to GIs and authorised users.
For a specific seller, a familiar brand name is only a starting point. Ask which legal entity and document support the claim being made. A brand-name search with no obvious match is not enough to settle that question.
Look beyond the one-word area summary
The journal's Mithila Makhana entry has a geographical-area section on page 9 and a map on page 14. Its historical-origin section is also on page 9; that history is not a traceability record for today's packet. Open the journal document through the application entry to see each section in context. Application 696, Document Details: journal dated 13 April 2022.
IP India's filing guidance calls for geographical material alongside the product's distinguishing characteristics and arrangements for maintaining standards. Reading only “Bihar”, or the applicant's postal address, skips that detail. IP India's application guidance. This guide does not redraw the GI boundary or decide whether a particular consignment qualifies.
A four-line record-checking worksheet
When comparing a website claim with the register, write down these four things:
- The exact claim: regional heritage, a named entity's registration, or the origin of a specific product?
- The matching document: record the application number, document title and relevant page, rather than saving only a search result.
- The date and its meaning: distinguish filing, journal publication, certificate and the date covered by any downloaded list.
- The remaining evidence: note what would connect the named entity or product to the claim. Do not fill that gap with a photograph of a GI certificate.
There is a practical date trap here. On our check date, IP India's Part B page linked an authorised-user list described as current to 15 May 2025, although the website footer showed a later update. Read the document's own coverage date; the footer does not make an older list current. IP India's Part B register page.
What this establishes for Namaste Makhana
This is an explanation of public records. Namaste Makhana has not published sourcing or GI-authorisation evidence, and this article does not establish either. It also does not grant permission to use a GI name or logo.
For other questions about a pack, use the evidence that answers them: our suta guide explains size terminology, and our pack-comparison guide covers ingredients, weight and price. A regional registration should not stand in for the product information you need before buying.