IPR reforms take patent awards in India to levels above 1 lakh a year

Indian Patent Office has granted 1,03,057 patents in FY2023-24 thanks to various steps taken to strengthen the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) ecosystem in the country through modernization of IP offices using advanced technologies and IT. 

Since all documents for obtaining IPRs are filed online and are completely digitized online for further proceedings and final disposal, applicants need not present themselves before the Patent and Trade Marks Offices for filing of applications and receipt of patent or trade mark.

A significant reduction in patent application fee also helped to increase patent and trade mark filing by startups, MSMEs and educational institutes.

At present, 75 per cent fee concession is granted at each stage of processing of patent applications to startups and MSMEs and 50 per cent to filing of trade mark applications.

With the launch of the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM) in December 2021 to impart IP awareness and basic training in educational institutes,  more than 2 million persons have been trained about IPRs across the country, so far. 

Also, Government of India has been conferring IP awards every year to recognize top achievers.

Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP), a scheme for safeguarding IP rights (patents, trademarks and designs) of start-ups was launched in 2016, providing opportunity to avail pro bono facilitation by empaneled IP experts, with the government bearing the facilitation fees of the IP experts. The launch of the scheme led to a significant increase in IP applications by startups. 

The government also increased the number of technical staff in Patent Office to address the issue of pending applications. This was done through promotion of various officers to the post of controllers. Further, young professionals and technical assistants were engaged on contractual basis to support controller’s decision making. All of these have resulted in granting more than 1 lakh patents in a single year in 2023-24.

Minister of state for commerce and industry Jitin Prasad gave this information in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday.