10 — Patents · Filed. Registered. Defended.
A patent protects a new product or process that involves an inventive step and is capable of industrial application. In India, patents are examined and granted by the Indian Patent Office under the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trade Marks (CGPDTM), with offices in Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai.
FIG. 2 — Claimed mechanism & inventive step
What Qualifies
An invention is patentable in India when it is new anywhere in the world, involves a technical step that would not be obvious to a person skilled in the field, and can be made or used in some kind of industry.
Section 3 of the Patents Act also lists categories excluded from patenting, including mere discoveries of a scientific principle, abstract theories, business methods, and computer programs considered on their own without a demonstrated technical effect.
How a Patent Proceeds
Search Indian and global databases to confirm novelty and map the competitive landscape.
File a provisional or complete specification with claims, drawings and an abstract.
The application is published 18 months after filing (or earlier, on request).
A Request for Examination triggers a First Examination Report; objections are answered within the prescribed period.
Once granted, annual renewal fees keep the patent in force for up to 20 years, with Form 27 working statements filed periodically.
Frequently Asked
Describe the invention at a plain level of detail, and any deadline already on the clock — technical specifics are only exchanged after an NDA is in place.