India's Patent Office to Hire 900 More People to Process IP Applications

The Indian Patent Office (IPO) will hire 900 more people to enhance manpower for processing the increasing number of intellectual property (IP) applications, a top government official said on Friday.

Increasing IP Filings

Secretary of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) Rajesh Kumar Singh said that patent filing has increased ten times and trademark application filing by six times since 2016.

"We are trying to strengthen the capacity of our IPO to process this proliferation of applications. We are going to add 900 new positions for which recruitment is already underway in our patent office," Singh said at the national intellectual property conference.

India's Global Innovation Index Ranking Improves

He also said that steps taken by the government have helped India improve its global innovation index rankings. India retained its 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2023 rankings, according to a report by the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organization.

"Though the ranking is improving, we have a long way to go," he said.

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's Plans for IP

Speaking at the conference later in the day, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said that manpower will be doubled for processing IP applications, and the process will be streamlined and made more transparent.

He announced plans for full digitalisation of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs, and Trade Marks for enhanced efficiency.

"Efforts to develop new ideas and innovations could only succeed if they receive proper protection and support," Goyal said, adding that no country can achieve developed nation status without a robust commitment to promoting the knowledge economy and technology-based solutions that cater to the needs of society, industry, and government.

The Indian government's focus on intellectual property is a positive step towards fostering innovation and creativity. By increasing manpower and streamlining the IP application process, the government aims to create a conducive environment for businesses and individuals to protect their intellectual property rights.