Centre Trying To Further Reduce Time For Approving Patent Filing: Minister

Domestic filing of patents has been increasing and in 2021, a total of 58,502 patents were filed while 28,391 were cleared, Nirmala Sitharaman said at a function.

The Centre is engaged in further reducing the time to clear applications filed for patents, which was already cut to 12-24 months from the earlier 72 months, Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Sunday.

Domestic filing of patents has been increasing and in 2021, a total of 58,502 patents were filed while 28,391 were cleared, she said at a function.

"In 2016 when the start-up policy was announced, lots of policies were brought in so that start-ups can get assistance in filing IPs. The number of days it took for patents to be cleared was 72 months in 2016. As of December 2020 which is the last data I have, it has come down to 12 months, in some cases 24 months. We are trying to further bring that down," she was quoted as saying in a press release.

Ms Sitharaman took part in a slew of functions at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and they include the inauguration of a National Centre for Precision Medicine in Cancer set up under the corporate social responsibility of Karkinos Healthcare.