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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 17TH 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.
*******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 fundingof ₹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.
80% Fee Reduction in Patents for Startups, MSMEs, and Educational
Institutions;
75% Fee Reduction in Designs for Startups, and MSMEs;
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:
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.
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.
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.
An online system for the registration of title as licensee with Controller of
Patents to facilitate licensing transactions and accelerate commercialization of
patented inventions.
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 sub-
section (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.
*******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 BioNESTincubators 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:
Scheme Number of Startups and Financial Assistance provided
Innovators receiving Financial by BIRAC (Rs in Lakhs)
Assistance
BIPP 55 7409.19
SBIRI 49 1240.99
PACE 27 709.55
Total 131 9359.73
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:
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:
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.
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.
Commercialization Facilitation: IPRs are analyzed for commercial
feasibility, and suitable industry partners or private stakeholders are identified
for market entry.
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:
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.
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.
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).
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
applications.
*******