India’s patent office grants 1 lakh patents in one year

The Indian Patents Office granted over one lakh patents in the one year period between 15 March 2023 and 14 March 2024, ie, around 250 patents each working day, as the number of patent seekers peaked. 

The year 2023 saw an all-time high filing of 90,300 patent applications. This is equivalent to one technology is seeking IP protection in India every 6 minutes.

There has been a three-fold increase in Geographical Indication (GI) registrations compared to the previous year with 573 GIs registered till date this fiscal and 62 more set to be registered by 31 March 2024. 

In addition, 11,621 authorised users are registered, with 2,575 more users waiting to be registered by 31 March 2024.

The number of copyright registrations also reached a record 36,378 as the creative industry became more aware of the strategic role of copyrights.

The number of design patents registered so far during the fiscal year 2023-24 totalled 27,819, while the total number of applications cleared totaled 30,450.

Meanwhile, Toycathon, a joint initiative of J&K SCERT and Indian IP Office, saw participation of over 1.25 lakh students, with 115 novel designs by J&K School students getting registered.

According to the Patent Office, the Trade Marks Registry issues the examination report within 30 days of receiving an application and awards trademark protection at the earliest.

Government has notified Patents Rules 2024 with several provisions to simplify patent prosecution and maintenance, marking a significant milestone in the journey towards fostering innovation and economic development.