Piyush Goyal | PC-MoneyControl

The ‘ease of doing business’ will go a long way in catapulting India as an innovation hub, said Union Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on August 1, after reviewing the functioning of the Office of Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks in Mumbai.

Apart from reviewing the work, Goyal also deliberated on ways to build a robust Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) infrastructure.

Reiterating government’s commitment to bolster the ecosystem of patents, design, trademarks, GI (Geographical Indication) systems, Goyal said, “The pendency in the IPR department has come down drastically. It has also been decided that any pending application should be completed within days and not months.”

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Among other things, the Minister mentioned about the reduction in filing fees for startups, MSMEs and women entrepreneurs — allowed by the department — by 80 percent to help and support startups and women entrepreneurs in the country. He also emphasised on using digital means and making the application process more user friendly.

Goyal asked authorities to put more efforts to increase awareness about GI tag and its significance, while asked to consider instituting scholarships for students studying the Intellectual Property law. He also asked to engage faculty from renowned institutions on a part time basis to help in the patent examination process.

In last 5-6 years, India has seen a rapid increase in grant of patents and copyrights. The number of patents granted has gone up from 6,326 in 2015-16 to 28,391 in 2020-21, while trade marks registration has shot up from 65,045 in 2015-16 to 2,55,993 in 2020-21. Similarly, while 4,505 Copyrights were granted in 2015-16, a total of 16,402 were granted last fiscal.

India has climbed 33 notches from 81st position in 2015-16 to 48th in 2020 in the Global Innovation Index.