Flagship initiative
Indigenous Product of the Himalayas.
A cultural and intellectual identity, developed by HIPO, that functions as a trusted mark of authenticity on the packaging of eligible indigenous producers — and a traceability system that lets anyone verify what the mark claims.
What it is
One sign, carrying a region’s reputation.
Individually, a producer in a Himalayan valley cannot build a brand strong enough to change how their product is priced. Collectively, the region already has one — it simply has never been attached to the goods that come out of it.
The mark is that attachment. It signals that a product comes from an indigenous Himalayan producer, made under practices the community recognises as its own, with a verifiable record standing behind the claim.
It is designed to be a shared asset: held in custody by HIPO, used by eligible producers, and protected on their behalf.
Indigenous Product
of the Himalayas
Certified by HIPO
Illustrative of how the mark is intended to appear on pack. Final artwork, placement rules and permitted variants are defined by the HIPO brand book.
The brand book
A mark is only as good as the rules around it.
The initiative is supported by a formal brand book and identity system — the document that keeps the mark consistent, credible and defensible as it spreads across products and years.
Visual identity
The mark itself, its construction, colour, clear space, minimum sizes and the permitted variants for different pack formats and materials.
Usage guidelines
Where the mark may and may not appear, how it sits alongside a producer’s own branding, and what accompanying language is required.
Values & narrative
The story the mark tells and the language used to tell it, so that every product carrying it reinforces the same meaning.
Safeguards
Protections against misuse, imitation and unauthorised application — including how misuse is identified and what follows when it is found.
Traceability
Every certified product carries a QR code.
Scanning it enables traceability of both the product and the producer — transparency about origin, community and production practices, hosted on HIPO’s own infrastructure.
-
A producer is verified
The producer, their community and their production practice are recorded by HIPO before any mark is issued. Certification begins with evidence, not with artwork.
-
The pack carries the mark and a code
Approved packaging bears the Indigenous Product of the Himalayas mark alongside a QR code tied to that product.
-
Anyone can scan it
A buyer in a shop, a retail partner, a distributor or a regulator scans the code with an ordinary phone camera. No app, no account.
-
The record answers
The code resolves to a verification page on the HIPO website showing the product and producer information behind the claim.
What a scan is intended to reveal
- The product and what it is
- The producer, and the community they belong to
- Where in the Himalayas it originates
- How it was produced, in the community’s own terms
- That the mark on this pack is currently valid
The HIPO website acts as the digital trust infrastructure for the whole system: the single place where verification data is hosted and managed, connecting a physical product on a shelf to information that can be examined independently.
For producers
Who the mark is for.
Indigenous producers across the Himalayan region — individuals, collectives, cooperatives and community enterprises — whose products come from the region and are made under practices their community recognises as its own.
What carrying the mark asks of you
Certification is a two-way commitment. Producers agree to be verified, to keep their record accurate, and to apply the mark only as the brand book permits. In return, HIPO builds and defends the identity, hosts the verification record, and works to improve the market that identity opens.
Eligibility and application
Eligibility criteria and the certification process are being finalised as part of the brand book and governance framework. Producers and producer organisations who want to be part of the first cohort can register their interest now.
Why it matters
The premium already exists. It is simply going somewhere else.
Buyers pay more for provenance they can trust. Identity and traceability are what make Himalayan provenance trustworthy — and what let the resulting premium travel back up the chain to the producer.
Get involved
Be part of the first cohort.
If you produce in the Himalayas, buy from the region, or want to support the standard behind the mark, we would like to hear from you.