Centre encouraging patents, design trademarks ecosystem: Piyush Goyal

Representational Image

New Delhi: The government is focused on encouraging innovation, research and development in the country and bringing newer inventions and knowledge from India's heritage systems to global platforms, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.

"Under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we are committed to bolstering the ecosystem of patents, design, trademarks, and GI systems.

"This will encourage innovation, research and development in the country and present newer inventions and knowledge from India's heritage systems to global platforms. The government has been making efforts since 2014, to make India a Global Innovation hub," Goyal said at a review meeting at the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDT).

“The pendency in the IPR department has come down drastically. It has also been decided that any pending application should be completed within days and not months," Goyal said while speaking about the CGPDT's speedy disposal of applications.

The minister further said there has been a reduction in fees allowed by the department in order to help and support startups and women entrepreneurs in the country.

"Filing fees for startups, MSMEs, and individual women has been given a provision of 80 per cent discount to help the youth of the country. Also, most of the processes are made online for their convenience. Earlier, people from far off places had to spend money from their pockets to reach the office in person which has now been made easier. This ensures hassle free administration,” he noted. Also Read: LIC, SBI, HDFC and PNB home loans: Check top offers with up to 0% processing fees

All these steps will encourage research, innovation, development and scientific thinking in the country, Goyal added. Also Read: Fino Payments Bank files Rs 1,300-cr IPO papers with Sebi