Lok Sabha Question No. 4005 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-17
Subject: Patent Facilitation Centre
Ministry: COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY
Asked by: Shri P C Mohan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT FOR PROMOTION OF INDUSTRY AND INTERNAL TRADE

## LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4005.

TO BE ANSWERED ON TUESDAY, THE 17 TH  MARCH, 2026.

## PATENT FACILITATION CENTRE

## 4005.  SHRI P C MOHAN:

## Will the Minister of COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY be pleased to state: वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्री

- (a) the  details  of  schemes  and  initiatives  implemented  by  the  Government  to promote research, innovation and intellectual property creation across sectors such as technology, biotechnology, manufacturing, electronics and healthcare;
- (b) whether any sector-wise financial assistance, incentives or grants are provided by the Government to promote innovation and patent creation and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the  support  extended  by  the  Government  to  startups  and  innovators  in Bengaluru  for research and  development,  patent  filing, incubation  and commercialisation, including financial assistance and facilitation support; and
- (d) whether the Government has established patent facilitation centres, innovation hubs or special assistance mechanisms for startups and research institutions in Bengaluru and if so, the details of sector-wise assistance provided?

## ANSWER

## वाणिज्य एवं उद्योग मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री ( श्री णिणिन प्रसाद ) THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY (SHRI JITIN PRASADA)

- (a) & (b): The  Government  has  undertaken  several  initiatives  to  promote  research, innovation  and  intellectual  property  (IP)  creation  across  sectors  such  as technology,  biotechnology,  manufacturing,  electronics  and  healthcare  and provides  financial  assistance/incentives/grants  to  promote  innovation  and patent creation. Details are placed at Annexure-A .
- (c) & (d): The Government has undertaken various steps including providing the financial assistance, incentives and grants to promote innovation and patent creation and  also  extends  support  to  Startups,  Innovators  etc.  in  Bengaluru.  Major initiatives through various Ministries / Departments / Organisations are placed at Annexure-B .

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## ANNEXURE-A

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  &  (b)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4005 FOR ANSWER ON 17.03.2026.

1. National Intellectual Property Policy launched in 2016 to foster a dynamic, vibrant, and  balanced  IPR  ecosystem  serves  as  a  guiding  framework  for  promoting innovation and IP creation in the country. IPR Chairs have been set up in higher education institutes in India under the Scheme for Pedagogy & Research in IPRs for  Holistic  Education and  Academia (SPRIHA) to promote IPR education and research. Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM) established under the aegis of DPIIT undertakes nationwide outreach programmes with enforcement agencies, judiciary, academia, industry, and schools, strengthening IP awareness and research across India, to boost IP creation.
2. National Intellectual Property (IP) Awards are conferred every year to recognize and reward the top achievers comprising individuals, institutions, organizations and enterprises, for their IP creations and commercialization.
3. Certificate of Inventorship has been introduced to formally recognize efforts of the inventors in the patented inventions and thereby to incentivize inventors.
4. Scheme  for  setting  up  Centres  of  Excellence  (CoEs)  provides  grant-in-aid  to identified Government Research Institutes for improving existing technology and research  and  to  promote  development  of  new  applications  in  the field  of Chemicals and Petrochemicals . It provides financial support upto 50 per cent of the total project cost subject to an upper limit of Rs. 5 crore. 18 CoEs have been approved so far and filed 80 patents.
5. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) established network of 15 DRDO Industry Academia Centre of Excellence (DIA-CoE) at various IITs, IISc  and  Central/  State  University  to  encourage  directed  research in  defence technologies areas . DFTM, DRDO is sanctioning projects through 15 DIA-CoEs under  Grants-in-Aid scheme.  Under  this, the institute and  university are encouraged to take up research projects for development of futuristic defence technologies .  Till  February  2026,  355  projects  are  sanctioned  at  a  cost  of 1297.96 Crore. The Government has established Technology Development Fund (TDF) Scheme in September 2016 to promote Public and private sector industries especially  MSMEs  and  startups  to  design  and  develop  innovative  Defence technologies. It provides Grant in Aid to Indian industries for the development of Defence and dual use technologies that are currently not available with the Indian defence Industry.
6. Ministry of Mines provides financial support under the Research & Development (R&D) component and the S&T-PRISM (Promotion of Research and Innovation in  Startups  and  MSMEs)  component  of  the  Science  and  Technology  (S&T) Programme  for  R&D  projects  in  mining,  mineral  processing,  metallurgical technologies,  mineral  beneficiation,  and  recycling  across  the  critical  minerals value chain, which are essential for sectors such as technology, biotechnology, manufacturing,  electronics,  and  healthcare.  During  2025-26,  under  the  R&D component, 15 projects related to critical minerals have been approved for funding

of  ₹5.26  crore.  Under  S&T-PRISM  component,  04  projects  related  to  critical minerals  have  been  approved  during  2025-26,  with  financial  support  of  ₹4.74 crore.

7. The Bio-RIDE scheme is an initiative under Department of Biotechnology. It is designed  to  foster  innovation,  promote  bio  entrepreneurship,  and  strengthen India's position as a global leader in biomanufacturing and biotechnology.  The Scheme  consists  of  three  major  components  -  Biotechnology  Research  and Development (R&D); Industrial & Entrepreneurship Development (I&ED), Biomanufacturing  and  Biofoundry.  It  aims  to  accelerate  research,  enhance product  development,  and  bridge  the  gap  between  academic  research  and industrial applications. The scheme is part of the Government of India's mission to  harness  the  potential  of  bio-innovation  to  address  national  and  global challenges in areas such as healthcare, agriculture, environmental sustainability, and clean energy.
8. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council ( BIRAC ),  a  public  sector enterprise  set  up  by  DBT,  implements  several  schemes  and  programmes  to support start-ups and innovators in biotechnology sector. These initiatives provide structured  funding,  incubation  support,  and  intellectual  property  facilitation  to promote research, innovation, and technology development across domains of biotechnology. The schemes cater to early-stage high risk funding to commercialisation.
9. BIRAC-PATH (Patenting and Technology Transfer for Harnessing Innovations) programme grant support is provided for patent drafting, filing, prosecution and maintenance for a limited period, up to the stage of grant of patent in India or commercialization of the technology in India, whichever is earlier.
10. National Biopharma Mission (NBM) supports entire innovation and commercialization lifecycle of biotechnology products and technologies. Grantees may utilize the grant for activities  related  to  intellectual  property  management, including  patent  filing  and  prosecution.  NBM  also  established Technology Transfer  Offices  (TTOs) to  facilitate  technology  transfer,  intellectual  property management, and industry linkages. The support extends to activities enabling technology validation, licensing, and commercialization of developed technologies.  Thus,  the  grant  mechanism  under  NBM  is  designed  to  promote translation  of  research  into  market-ready  products  by  supporting  patenting, technology transfer and commercialisation process.
11.  DST under its Advanced Manufacturing Technologies (AMT) Programme has supported research and development of novel manufacturing technologies. R&D efforts focused on design and process innovations to overcome the limitations of conventional manufacturing technologies, supported the indigenous development of  machines,  instruments,  devices  and  tools,  and  promoted  improvements  in materials processing strategies for enhanced properties and scalable production. Further, DST through 'NIDHI' (National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations)  program  extended  end-to-end  startup  support  to  nurture  startups from ideation to commercialization. It includes a variety of program components for  Startups  like  PRAYAS  -  prototyping  grant  for  early-stage  innovative  ideas,

hand-holding support to startups through Technology Business Incubators, seed funding and acceleration support for rapid scaling of startup businesses.

12.  In order to encourage the technology development and to augment the indigenous manufacturing in the Capital Goods Sector, Ministry of Heavy Industries (MHI) is implementing the scheme for 'Enhancement of Competitiveness in the Indian Capital Goods Sector- Phase-II' with a total financial outlay of Rs. 1207 crores, budgetary support of Rs. 975 crore and industry contribution of Rs. 232 crores. Under this scheme, a total of 29 projects with project cost of Rs. 891.37 crores and Govt contribution of Rs. 716.64 crore have been sanctioned so far.
13.  Significant Fee Concessions for Startups, MSMEs, and Educational Institutions are offered by IP Office of India to boost IP filings and encourage IP creation. If IP protection cost is affordable, it indirectly encourages IP creation and innovation.
3.  80%  Fee  Reduction  in  Patents  for  Startups,  MSMEs,  and  Educational Institutions;
4.  75% Fee Reduction in Designs for Startups, and MSMEs;
5.  50% Fees Reduction for Trade Marks filing for Startups and MSMEs
14.  The Start-Ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) scheme was launched in 2016 to provide pro bono facilitation to startups for the filing and processing of patent, trademark, and design applications. Under this scheme, the Office of the Controller  General  of  Patents,  Designs  &  Trade  Marks  (CGPDTM)  bears  the professional fees payable to facilitators. Its scope was also expanded to benefit Indian  educational  institutions  using  Technology  Innovation  Support  Centre (TISC)  services.  Additionally,  it  now  covers  the  filing  of  international  patent applications filed in India.
15.  Following  measures  are  implemented  to  support/assist  patent  holders  for commercialization of their IP rights:
8.  Office  of  the  CGPDTM  maintains  a  comprehensive  database,  Indian  Patent Advanced Search System (InPASS), which provides detailed information on patent applications and granted patents in India. This enables interested parties to identify relevant patented inventions, thereby facilitating potential licensing opportunities and supporting the commercialization efforts of patent holders.
9.  Form 27 (statement regarding working of patented invention on a commercial scale in India) has been amended in 2024 to allow patent holders to voluntarily indicate their willingness to license their patents and provide contact details for interested parties.
10.  Patent renewal fees for Startups, MSMEs, and Educational Institutions have been reduced by 80%. Further, Renewal fee reduced by 10% if paid in advance through electronic mode for a period of at least 4 years.
11.  An  online  system  for  the  registration  of  title  as  licensee  with  Controller  of Patents to facilitate licensing transactions and accelerate commercialization of patented inventions.
12.  Allows integration of API setu for verification/authentication by GEM and Military portals  which  facilitates  commercialization  and  deters  counterfeiting  and infringement.
16. An initiative named 'MISSION RAKSHA GYAN SHAKTI' (MRGS) launched in April 2018 aims to institute an enabling framework for creation and management of Intellectual Property (IP) culture. The IPs include Patents, Design, Trademark, Copyrights, Semiconductors Integrated Circuit Layout Designs. Till Feb' 2026 IP filed by DPSUs are 7018; Till Feb' 2026 IP granted/registered are 3293.
17. Data  Innovation  (DI)  Lab  initiative  of  the  capacity  Development  Scheme  is implemented to promote innovation in the field of Official Statistics, with a total budget outlay of Rs 4 crores.
18. National  Agriculture  Innovation  Fund  is  an  initiative  to  promote  Intellectual Property in Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). Institute Technology Management Units (ITMUs) have been established in ICAR institutes to facilitate IP protection and technology management. 50 Agri-Business Incubation Centres (ABICs)  have  been  also  established  in  its  concerned  institutes  to  provide incubation and technical back-stopping support to agri-start-ups/entrepreneurs.
19. Council  of  Scientific  and  Industrial  Research  (CSIR)  organized  research  and development  work  in  themes  with  the  aim  of  linking  laboratory  research  to market-ready products and strengthening national self-reliance.
20. The Prithvi  Vigyan  (PRITHVI)  scheme  promotes  research,  innovation,  and  IP creation in earth sciences; establishing advanced laboratories and observatories; supporting multidisciplinary research with tools like geotechnical instrumentation, coastal  monitoring  systems,  hydro-geochemical  sensors,  and  AI/ML  hazard prediction,  while  grants  under  the  scheme  fund  studies  in  solid  earth,  crustal dynamics,  natural  hazards,  marine  geoscience,  hydrology,  biogeochemistry, cloud microphysics, and mission programs like Mission Mausam.
21. The following GST exemptions are also available in respect of services supplied by startups/incubatees and for research and development activities:
- A.  On  the  recommendations  made  by  the  GST  Council,  the  following  GST exemptions are provided for services supplied by 'incubatees' and 'incubators' vide  Entry  No.  44  and  48  of  Notification  No.  12/2017  Central  Tax  (Rate) respectively:
1.  Services provided by an incubatee up to a total turnover of Rs. 50 lakh in a financial  year  subject  to  the  following  conditions,  namely:-  i.)  the  total turnover had not exceeded Rs. 50 lakh during the preceding financial year; and ii.) a period of three years has not elapsed from the date of entering into an agreement as an incubatee.
2.  Taxable services provided or to be provided,  by  a Technology Business Incubator or a Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park recognised by  the  National  Science  and  Technology  Entrepreneurship  Development Board of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India or  bio-incubators  recognised  by  the  Biotechnology  Industry  Research Assistance Council, under the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India.

For the purposes of above exemptions, 'incubatee' means an entrepreneur located within the premises of a Technology Business Incubator or Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Park recognised by the National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India and who has entered into an agreement with the Technology Business Incubator or the Science  and  Technology  Entrepreneurship  Park  to  enable  himself  to develop and produce hi-tech and innovative products.

3.  Similarly, on the recommendations made by the GST Council, exemption from GST has also been provided for research and development services vide Entry No. 44A of Notification No. 12/2017 Central Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017.

Under the said entry, research and development services supplied against consideration received in the form of grants are exempt from GST where such services are supplied by: (a) a Government Entity; or (b) a research association, university, college or other institution notified under clauses (ii) or (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Income Tax Act, 1961.

The exemption is subject  to  the  condition  that  the  research  association, university, college or other institution notified under clauses (ii) or (iii) of subsection (1) of section 35 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 is so notified at the time of supply of the research and development services.

22.  The National Manufacturing Mission (NMM), announced in Budget 2025-26 with ₹100  crore  outlay ,  focuses  on  ease  of  doing  business,  future-ready workforce,  vibrant  MSMEs,  technology  access,  and  quality  products  to strengthen manufacturing  capabilities.  Production Linked  Incentive (PLI) schemes for  14  key  sectors  with  ₹1.97  lakh  crore outlay  aim  to  boost production, investment in advanced technology, and global competitiveness. The Biopharma  SHAKTI (Strategy  for  Healthcare  Advancement  through Knowledge,  Technology  and  Innovation)  is  a  five-year,  Rs.  10,000  crore mission (FY 2026-27 to FY 2030-31) to transform India into a global hub for biologics and biosimilars, addressing the rising burden of non-communicable diseases and shifting from generics to high-value biopharmaceuticals.

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## ANNEXURE-B

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  &  (d)  OF  THE  LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4005 FOR ANSWER ON 17.03.2026.

1.  The Government established a WIPO Technology and Innovation Support Center (TISC) at the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST) to support researchers, inventors, and entrepreneurs in protecting, managing, and creating value from  their intellectual property through training, specialized resources, and networking support from the Government and WIPO.
2.  Under S&T-PRISM component, support has been extended to two R&D projects (one for startups and another for MSMEs) in Bengaluru for R&D on extraction of critical  minerals  from  used  lithium  batteries  and  development  of  red  mud flocculants, with financial support of ₹3.725 crore.
3.  The DRDO released an SoP for industry engagement in projects under DIA - CoE to  promote  industry  participation  in  defence  R&D  through  Technology  Transfer (ToT) or technology enhancement as Co-PI; 11 MoAs have been signed, and 18 Bengaluru-based industries, including 4 startups, have been supported under the Technology Development Fund scheme.
4.  Biotechnology  Ignition  Grant  (BIG)  programme  -  BIG  is  a  flagship  early-stage funding programme that provides grant-in-aid support of up to ₹50 lakh for a period of 18 months to startups and individual innovators for establishing proof-of-concept of innovative biotechnology ideas. The scheme is implemented through 8 partner incubators across the country, of which one is located in Bengaluru namely Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP). The programme also facilitates technical mentoring, intellectual property support, regulatory guidance, and market linkages,  enabling  translation  of  research  outcomes  into  scalable  technologies. More than 1000 startups have been supported across the biotechnology domains in the country, of which 179 startups are from Bengaluru.
5.  BIRAC established 94 biotechnology incubation and pre-incubation centres across 25  States  and  Union  Territories,  through  BioNEST (Bioincubators  Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) and E-YUVA (Empowering Youth for Undertaking Value Added Innovative Translational Research) schemes. Total 7 incubation and pre-incubation centres are supported in Bengaluru.
6.  The  Sustainable  Entrepreneurship  and  Enterprise  Development  (SEED)  Fund, implemented  through  16  BioNEST  incubators  (including  three  in  Bengaluru), provides first-equity support of up to ₹30 lakh per startup to facilitate transition from proof-of-concept to early-stage commercialization; 153 biotech startups nationwide,  including  36  from  Bengaluru,  have  been  supported  for  product validation, early market access, and scaling technologies.
7. Launching  Entrepreneurial  Driven  Affordable  Products  (LEAP)  Fund: The LEAP  Fund  provides  equity-based  support  of  up  to  ₹100  lakh  per  startup  to accelerate commercialization and market entry of startups with validated technologies,  supporting  scale-up,  regulatory  advancement,  and  manufacturing readiness.  The  programme  is  implemented  through  6  designated  BioNEST

incubators across the country, of which one is Center for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) in Bengaluru. So far, 62 startups have been supported under this scheme across the nation, including 20 startups from Bengaluru.

8.  Since the inception of PPP scheme, 131 startups and innovators in Bengaluru have received  financial  assistance  from  BIRAC  for  research  and  development  in biotechnology sector which lead to patent filing  and  product  commercialization. Scheme-wise break up is as follow:
9. Programmes in Synthetic Biology and Clean Technologies: During the last 3 years, the 'Program for synthetic biology' and 'Innovation clean technology-scale up' has supported the following projects from Karnataka:

| Scheme   |   Number of Startups and Innovators receiving Financial Assistance |   Financial Assistance provided by BIRAC (Rs in Lakhs) |
|----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------|
| BIPP     |                                                                 55 |                                                7409.19 |
| SBIRI    |                                                                 49 |                                                1240.99 |
| PACE     |                                                                 27 |                                                 709.55 |
| Total    |                                                                131 |                                                9359.73 |

## Synthetic biology:

1.  CSIR-CIMAP, Bengaluru in collaboration with Amnion Biosciences, Bengaluru
2.  E2E Biotech, Bengaluru in collaboration with ICGEB, New Delhi
3.  HiTech Biosciences, Pune in collaboration with IISc, Bengaluru
4.  Jananom Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru in collaboration with IBAB, Bengaluru

## Innovation Clean Technologies (Ict):

1.  Openwater.In Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru
2.  GPS Renewables Pvt. Ltd, Bengaluru
10. National  Biopharma  Mission  (NBM): NBM has  supported  22  grantees  in Bengaluru with financial assistance amounting to ₹103 crore.
11.  Under NIDHI-PRAYAS program, 2,254 innovators/startups have been supported out of which 381 innovators/startups are from Karnataka. Department of Science and  Technology  (DST)  has  established  17  incubation  centres  in  the  state  of Karnataka to provide comprehensive support and help startups progress in their ideas to  commercialization  journey .  Around  39  projects supported under this programme are in the Bengaluru region.
12.  The iDEX  (Innovation  for  Defence  Excellence)  scheme ,  launched  in April 2018 ,  fosters  innovation  in Defence  and  Aerospace by  engaging MSMEs, startups, individual innovators, R&D institutes, and academia , with ₹498.78 crore allocated from 2021-22 to 2025-26 to support development of innovative technologies. It provides grants up to ₹1.50 crore for R&D  and other support that  has  potential  for  defence  adoption,  while  the MISSION  RAKSHA  GYAN SHAKTI (MRGS) initiative launched in April 2018, promotes an IP culture , with 7,018 IPs filed and 3,293 granted/registered by February 2026.

The ADITI  (Acing  Development  of  Innovative  Technologies  with  iDEX) scheme , with a ₹750 crore budget from 2023-24 to 2025-26, provides grants up to  ₹25  crore to  support iDEX-winning  startups  and  MSMEs  nationwide , including Bengaluru , for  the  development  of cutting-edge,  critical,  and strategic technologies .

13.  Innovators and startups in Bengaluru receive comprehensive facilitation through Patent Information Centre (PIC) of the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology:
2.  Prior Art Search Services: During FY 2024-25, 54 prior art search reports were generated for inventions from startups and R&D institutions to assess patentability.
3.  Filing and Registration: Technical guidance is provided for drafting and filing Patents, Designs, Trademarks, and Copyrights. In FY 2024-25, associated cells filed 253 patent applications and 33 design applications.
4.  Commercialization Facilitation: IPRs are analyzed for commercial feasibility, and suitable industry partners or private stakeholders are identified for market entry.
5.  Geographical Indications (GI): Support for drafting and filing GI applications for  local  products,  such  as  Rani  Ele  and  Rani  Pepper,  and  registering Authorized Users.
- II.    The  Government  has  established  a  widespread  network  of  facilitation  hubs centered in Bengaluru:
7.  Nodal Centre: The primary Patent Information Centre (PIC) is located at the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Campus, Bengaluru .
8.  University-Based  Innovation  Hubs: A  total  of 92  IP  Cells has  been established in various educational institutions across the state to act as nodal centers for local IPR activities.
9.  Recent Bengaluru Hubs: New IP cells established in FY 2024-25 include those  at Bengaluru  University  (BU) , Sri  Venkateshwara  College  of Engineering (SVCE) , and New Horizon College of Engineering (NHCIIE) .
10.  Via the DCTE (Department of Collegiate and Technical Education) PIC -KSCST has trained personnel from 20+ Government Engineering colleges, and numerous polytechnics in the past year. The aim is that each one of these  institutions  establishes  its  own  mechanism  for  IP  capture  and  IP prosecution.
14.  Two projects related to the usage of AI in Official Statistics have been awarded to Consortium  of  Indian  Institute  of  Technology  ,  Madras  and  Axonwise  Pvt  Ltd (Sarvam AI), which is a Bengaluru based Startup, with IIT Madras as lead partner, with a total project cost of Rs. 69 lakh.
15.  In  Bengaluru,  four  ICAR  institutes-IIHR,  NIVEDI,  NIANP,  and  NBAIR-are conducting  domain-specific  research  and  innovation,  protecting  their  products, processes, and technologies through Copyright, Design, Patent, Plant Varieties, and Trademark.
16.  The  CSIR-National  Aerospace  Laboratories,  a  CSIR  constituent  lab,  supports startups in the aerospace sector through its Technology Incubation Centre, which has nurtured about 32 startups, while its Innovation Protection Unit (IPU) assists laboratories in identifying and drafting patent specifications. 17.  A  total  of 87  financial  facilitations for  patent  applications  were  provided  to startups and innovators from Bengaluru under the SIPP Scheme during the last three financial years through pro bono support for filing and processing patent applications. 18.  Startups from Bengaluru availed 80%  fee relaxation for 1,162 patent application filings , 749 patent examinations , and 257 patent renewals . 19.  Startups from Bengaluru availed benefits of expedited examination in 504 patent
14. applications.

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