Patent examiner hiring delays boost pendency, CGPDTM report notes

It details the performance, filing statistics, administrative reforms, and financial status of India's intellectual property offices for the fiscal year 2024-25.

Who it concerns: Citizens of India, innovators, researchers, entrepreneurs, and stakeholders involved in the creation, protection, and commercialization of intellectual property (patents, designs, trademarks, geographical indications, and copyrights).

What the document says

• Overall IPR filings increased by 19.75% to 749,946 applications in FY 2024-25, up from 635,508 in the previous year.
• Patent filings surpassed the one-lakh milestone for the first time, with a year-on-year expansion of nearly 20%.
• Applications of Indian origin accounted for more than 60% of all patent filings.
• Design filings increased by over 40%.
• Trademark applications surpassed 5.5 lakh.
• The office recorded a revenue surplus with total revenue crossing ₹1,449 crore, an increase of nearly 7%.
• In January 2025, the Patent Office welcomed 407 new Examiners who completed a four-month induction program named 'Bouddhik Aagman'.
• 200 additional posts were sanctioned in the Trade Marks Registry, including 120 Examiner and Senior Examiner positions.
• The Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024 were implemented to simplify patent prosecution by reducing the frequency of filing working statements and streamlining the pre-grant opposition process.
• An AI-powered Trade Mark Search Technology and the IP Saarthi chatbot were launched to improve examination accuracy and provide 24x7 digital assistance.

Also in the document

• The report notes that delays in recruiting new examiners due to legal hurdles resulted in increased pendency at the first examination stage for patents during the reporting period.
• The discontinuation of contract examiners in the Trade Marks Registry led to lower examination output in trademarks during the year.
• India hosted a special pavilion themed 'Creative India, Innovative India' at the WIPO General Assembly 2025 to commemorate 50 years of partnership with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
• A new state-of-the-art IPO building was commissioned at IPO Dwarka, New Delhi, to host more than 800 IP officials, enhancing the capacity of IPO Delhi to host over 1,200 officers and staff members.