India’s patent landscape: universities as changemakers , Pg7

Key Highlights:

• In 2023, Indian-origin patent filings surpassed foreign filings, accounting for 57% of all filings.
• Educational institutions accounted for nearly 43% of patent filings in recent years.
• Computer science patent filings rose from 1.27% in 2000 to 26.5% in 2023.
• IIT Bombay led nationally with 421 patents granted in 2023-24.
• India's R&D expenditure is currently at 0.67% of GDP.

Detailed Insights:

• India is shifting from being a consumer to a creator of global technology due to government initiatives like the National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy and Atal Innovation Mission.
• Amendments to patent rules have introduced reforms such as expedited examinations, simplified timelines, reduced application fees for educational institutions, MSMEs, and startups, and full digitalisation of filing and communication.
• The share of patent filings from individuals jumped from under 10% in 2000 to around 32% by 2023, while companies' share fell to under 17%.
• Initiatives like KAPILA promote IP awareness in higher education institutions, and the Atal Innovation Mission fosters problem-solving skills and entrepreneurship within universities.
• Patent processing times have improved from 8-10 years in the early 2000s to 2-3 years in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
• Increasing India's R&D expenditure to around 2% of GDP is critical for becoming a global knowledge leader and achieving self-sufficiency in technology.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Patent: An exclusive right granted for an invention, allowing the patent holder to exclude others from making, using, or selling the invention [i].
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): Legal rights protecting creations of the mind, including inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, and symbols [i].
• Atal Innovation Mission: A flagship initiative by NITI Aayog to promote innovation and entrepreneurship across schools, universities, and industries [i].