India taking steps to reduce time for granting patents and trademarks

India is taking several steps, including hiring more manpower and increasing use of technology, to reduce the time for granting patents and trademarks, a top government official said Monday.

Secretary in the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) Ramesh Abhishek said as the economy is growing at a faster pace, focus on innovation and intellectual property rights (IPRs) are fundamental.

He said steps taken by the department has helped to substantially improve the IPR regime of the country.

"We have created capacities in our IP offices. Hundred examiners of patents (were hired). We added 450 more and now we are adding another 220 plus," he said here at the international conference on IPR, organised by industry body CII.

Abhishek also said that the processes have been re-engineered and introduced use of technologies for grant and examination of the patent, and trademark applications.

"Patent examination of applications which used to take 5-7 years earlier, we are hoping to bring it down to 18 months by end of next year or definitely by March 2020," he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)