Over the past few years, India has come a long way in its innovation journey and has emerged as one of the fastest-growing innovation-led economies in the world. Government initiatives for the promotion of intellectual property rights (IPR) and adoption of new innovative technologies have helped India become the third largest startup ecosystem in the world.
The Indian Government has been making several amendments to the IP filing processes to make them shorter, more efficient and effective. The IPR Policy 2016 was introduced to focus on creating awareness, conducive legal and legislative framework, commercialization of IPRs, and human capital development, among others. New initiatives to promote and encourage innovation have also been introduced, which include concessions in IPR filing by startups and women entrepreneurs, 80% concession for IPR filing by educational institutions, and 75 scholarships for students from economically weaker sections of the society studying IP-related laws, among others.
CII Initiatives have been helping to strengthen the IP ecosystem in India
CII has been working on creating a conducive IP ecosystem in the country both through its own efforts, as well as by supplementing the efforts of Government agencies, academic & research institutions, international organizations, foreign IP offices and industry for more than 20 years. The CII National Committee on IP comprises industry representatives from a wide variety of businesses and sectors. CII takes uo various policy issues with the Government of India and international agencies from time to time to strengthen the country’s IP framework and turn it into a hub of IP driven industries.
Here are some CII initiatives designed to strengthen India’s IP ecosystem:
- CII’s National IP Facilitation Center
Global businesses have long shifted towards IP intensive products and processes. However, the number of IP filings by resident Indians is much lower than the global average. CII’s ‘One Company One IP’ drive encourages companies to generate IP such as patents, designs, trademarks, and Geographical Indications (GI) and guides them on their protection and commercialization. To take this initiative forward, CII’s National Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) renders services to innovators, business owners, creative professionals, entrepreneurs, representatives of major corporations, etc., to protect, monetize and enforce IPRs.
- Consultation meetings with State Governments
CII, in collaboration with IPO India and international partners, works with various states across India with an objective of developing a robust IP ecosystem to facilitate generation of more IPs and enhance their image as progressive and investment friendly. High consultation meetings have been carried out with several states such as Gujarat, Telangana, MP, Orissa, etc to take the initiative forward.
- Capacity Building initiatives
CII has been working closely with organizations like United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Japan Patent Office (JPO), the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to conduct advanced level capacity building programmes for stakeholders of the IP ecosystem to address the gaps in innovation, IPR filings and protection.
- National IPR Conference
CII, in partnership with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and IPO India, has been organizing annual events where National IP Awards are conferred for the best portfolios of patents, trademarks and designs on industry, academic/research institutions and individuals.
- International IPR Conference
The International IPR Conference is a yearly event that is jointly organized in partnership with IPO and DPIIT. The conference, which is the biggest event for India in the field of IP, features eminent speakers from the Government, judiciary, legal counsels, industry and academia from India and abroad (Japan, US, Korea, UK and other countries’ patent offices and WIPO).
Innovation and IP generation have a direct economic correlation, as they lead to greater productivity and profitability for businesses. It is, therefore, crucial that the innovation mission remains strong for the Industry, which will further help the Indian economy reach new heights.