According to the draft rules published by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India, which modified part of the patent’s prosecution process in the country, a patent application submitted by a woman may be examined at an accelerated pace by the Indian Patent Office, if requested. The initiative was presented in order to promote innovation and entrepreneurship of women in the country, by prioritizing their patent applications over others presented by other groups.
So far, this benefit was only received by startups that requested the accelerated exam. However, the amendment authorizes this benefit to be applied also to different groups: women, small entities, government undertakings, among others.
