Number of Domestic patent filings in India surpasses international filings for the first time in 11 years

India has achieved another milestone as the number of domestic patent filings in the country surpassed the number of international patent filings for the first time in 11 years. The Union Ministry for  Commerce and Industry asserted that the number of domestic patent filings at the Indian patent office surpassed the number of international patent filings for the first time in 11 years in the quarter January-March 2022, indicating a shift in the intellectual property innovation ecosystem.

According to the ministry, a total of  19,796 patent applications filed in the first quarter of 2022, 10,706 were filed by Indian applicants versus 9,090 by non-Indian applicants.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal has applauded the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) for its  persistent efforts to strengthen the country's IPR system by fostering innovation and decreasing regulatory burdens. The DPIIT and the IP office collaborated to raise IP knowledge among people from all walks of life.

These efforts have resulted in an increase in the number of IPR filings while also reducing the number of patent applications pending at IP offices. Mr. Goyal further stated that this will help India achieve its ambitious goal of ranking among the top 25 countries in the Global Innovation Index.

Fee concessions of 10 per cent on online filing, 80 percent fee concession for Start-ups, Small Entities, and educational institutions, and provisions on expedited examination for Startups and MSMEs, among other categories, are some of the key initiatives taken by the government over the years that have bolstered India's IP regime, according to Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs, Public Distribution, and Textiles.

The National IPR strategy, according to the ministry, has aided India in achieving the following:

• Patent filings climbed by more than 50% from 42763 in 2014-15 to 66440 in 2021-22, a seven-year rise of more than 50%.
•  Nearly five times more patents will be granted in 2021-22 (30,074) than in 2014-15. (5978)
•  A reduction in the time it takes to examine a patent, from 72 months in December 2016 to 5-23 months now, for various technological sectors.
• India's standing in the Global Innovation Index has risen from 81st in 2015-16 to 46th in 2021 (+35 places).