Multi-pronged initiatives in IPR space: DIPP

Bringing pendency of patents to international level, recruiting 1,000 patent examiners and promulgating a new Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) policy are some of the multi-pronged approaches government is initiating, said a top official on Tuesday.

"In the next 18 months, we will bring the pendency of patents to international level of three months," said Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Secretary Amitabh Kant on the sidelines of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Make in India conference.

Recruiting and outsourcing patent examiners is one of the key measures the government is implementing to speed up patents.

"In the next six months, we are recruiting at least 1,000 patent examiners and we are outsourcing IIT professors... IIT professors will examine the patents," said Kant.

He also said a task force has been appointed for creating the new IPR policy which will go to the cabinet soon.

Aimed at giving an impetus to 'Make in India' and start-ups, Kant said patent rules are being amended to put 'Make in India' and start-up patents on the fast track.

Kant said: "Many of us have not realised this, India has become a centre for R&D, and in the last five years, 1,500 MNCs have relocated their R&D wings out of their head offices to Bengaluru and Hyderabad."

"They are employing close to 1,50,000 Indians for research and development," he said.

However, despite the advances India is making in hosting international R&D offices, its registration of patents is dismal on its own soil compared to foreigners.

"But we have to spread this movement for Indians to register their patents. At present, Indians register only 22 percent of patents in India, 78 percent of patents are registered by foreigners," added Kant.