Pakistan wins major basmati trademark case as New Zealand court rejects India’s appeal

Pakistan has secured a major legal victory in the global basmati rice dispute after the New Zealand High Court dismissed India’s appeal seeking exclusive certification trademark rights for basmati, a decision that protects Pakistan’s long-standing position as a legitimate producer of the aromatic rice.

Business Recorder reported, citing industry sources, that the High Court upheld the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand (IPONZ) decision, which in July 2024 rejected an application by India’s Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to register basmati as a certification mark solely for Indian-grown rice.

APEDA first filed for exclusive rights in February 2019, aiming to restrict the sale of basmati in New Zealand to Indian-origin rice. After the application was rejected, APEDA appealed — but the High Court has now ruled that New Zealand consumers do not exclusively associate basmati with India, concluding that the term is used to describe a type of rice, not a geographically limited product.

The court noted that the Basmati Growing Area spans regions in both Pakistan and India, and granting India exclusive certification would place Pakistani basmati producers at an unfair disadvantage and limit their access to New Zealand’s market.

Rafique Suleman, former chairman of the Rice Exporters Association of Pakistan (REAP), welcomed the decision, saying the ruling was based purely on merit. He said India has repeatedly attempted to mislead global markets over basmati’s origins, but Pakistan’s stance has now been reaffirmed by an independent judiciary.

He added that the verdict is a significant win for Pakistan and the Ministry of Commerce, whose Geographical Indications (GI) Cell continues to contest basmati-related trademark disputes in Australia and New Zealand. 

The order, he said, repeatedly recognises Pakistan as a legitimate basmati producer — a recognition that will strengthen Pakistan’s position in other ongoing international cases where APEDA has made similar claims.