Important Design Marks and Product Certification Labels in India and the World

Design marks protect a product’s visual appearance, while certification labels indicate compliance with specified standards. Together, they help consumers assess products, support fair trade and strengthen confidence in domestic and international markets.

Design Marks and Their Protection

A design concerns the visual features of an article—such as its shape, configuration, pattern, ornament or composition of lines or colours—applied through an industrial process and judged solely by the eye. Design protection covers appearance, not features dictated only by function.

• Designs Act, 2000: The Act provides India’s framework for registering and protecting industrial designs. The Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks administers it.
• Term of protection: Registration grants exclusive rights for 10 years, extendable by a further five years, for a maximum of 15 years.
• India Design Mark (I-Mark): The India Design Council, an autonomous body under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), grants this mark after evaluation. It recognises design excellence in areas including form, function, quality, safety, sustainability and innovation.
• International design awards: The Japan Institute of Design Promotion (JDP) presents the G-Mark, or Good Design Award, for designs considered to enhance industry and enrich lives. Recipients may display its logo on packaging. The Red Dot Design Award and iF Design Award are other prominent international design awards.

Product Certification Labels in India

Certification labels signal that products meet specified quality, safety, performance or environmental criteria. Requirements differ by scheme: some labels are mandatory for specified products or businesses, while others are voluntary.

• Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): India’s national standards body undertakes standardisation and quality certification under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act.
• ISI Mark: This mark indicates conformity with relevant BIS standards. It is mandatory for several notified products, including certain electronic and industrial goods, to support safety and quality assurance.
• BIS Hallmark: Hallmarking verifies the purity of gold and silver jewellery. It was introduced for gold in April 2000 and for silver in 2005; purity numbers indicate the metal content and help guard against adulteration.
• AGMARK: The Agricultural Mark certifies that agricultural products meet standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (DMI), under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The Agricultural Produce (Grading and Marking) Act, 1937, amended in 1986, provides its legal basis. It covers more than 200 commodities, including pulses, cereals, spices and edible oils. The Central AGMARK Laboratory is in Nagpur, alongside regional laboratories across India.
• FSSAI: The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is an autonomous statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. Food business operators must comply with applicable requirements; packaged food labels and business premises display the FSSAI logo and 14-digit licence number.
• Eco Mark: Launched in 1991, this voluntary scheme identifies products designed to have a lower impact on the environment while meeting quality requirements. Under the Ecomark Rules, 2024, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is the primary implementing and granting authority, working with BIS.
• BEE Star Label: The Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), a statutory body under the Ministry of Power established under the Energy Conservation Act, 2001, runs the scheme. Its 1-to-5-star ratings indicate appliance energy efficiency; a higher rating signifies lower electricity consumption. Labelling is mandatory for specified categories, including refrigerators and air conditioners.

International Standards and Labels

International marks and standards can assist compliance and market access, but their scope and assessment arrangements vary. A mark should not be treated as a universal guarantee of every aspect of a product’s quality.

• CE marking: Required for products within the scope of relevant European Union legislation and placed on the European Economic Area market, it indicates conformity with applicable health, safety and environmental requirements. The manufacturer generally declares conformity; certain higher-risk products require assessment by a Notified Body.
• ISO standards: The International Organization for Standardization develops international standards for products, services and management systems. ISO does not issue certificates. Independent certification bodies audit organisations and grant certification where requirements are met.
• ISO 9001: Sets requirements for a quality management system, supporting consistent delivery and customer satisfaction.
• ISO 14001: Provides a framework for environmental management and managing an organisation’s environmental impacts.
• ISO 27001: Specifies requirements for information security management, including the management of data-related risks.

Certification Marks, Designs and Geographical Indications

These forms of protection serve different purposes. Correctly distinguishing them is important for questions on intellectual property rights, product standards and global market access.

• Design registration: Protects the visual appearance of an article, subject to the legal requirements of the Designs Act, 2000. It does not protect purely functional features.
• Certification mark: Indicates that goods or services meet standards or other criteria set by the mark’s proprietor. It is distinct from an individual company’s trademark, which identifies the source of its goods or services.
• Geographical Indication (GI): Identifies goods whose qualities, reputation or other characteristics are linked to a specific geographical origin. In India, the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in 2003, provides protection. The GI Registry in Chennai administers the Act.
• GI term and examples: Registration lasts 10 years and may be renewed indefinitely. Darjeeling Tea and Basmati Rice are examples. A GI protects the collective identity of eligible producers associated with a region, rather than the brand of one company.

Key Prelims Takeaways

• Industrial designs: The Designs Act, 2000, provides protection for up to 15 years.
• Design awards: The India Design Council grants the I-Mark; JDP presents the G-Mark.
• BIS: The ISI Mark applies to specified industrial products; hallmarking verifies precious-metal purity.
• AGMARK: Covers agricultural commodities under the 1937 Act, as amended in 1986.
• Food and environment: FSSAI operates under the 2006 Act; CPCB leads implementation of Ecomark Rules, 2024, with BIS.
• ISO and GI: Independent bodies certify ISO compliance; GI registration is renewable every 10 years.

Recent Context

On October 25, 2026, Shabari Naturals, a Maharashtra government initiative supporting tribal products, received the G-Mark from JDP for packaging featuring Warli, Gond and Chitrakathi art. Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to the award in Mann Ki Baat. The initiative had previously received the India Design Mark; the G-Mark permits use of its logo on packaging.