Newsletter - India IP SME Helpdesk

The India IP SME Helpdesk joins forces with a new collaborator: Eureka, a network of ministries and funding agencies for international cooperation in research and development (R&D) and innovation. For the SMEs considering applying to one of Eureka’s funding programmes, we as India IP SME Helpdesk can offer guidance on how to manage the intellectual assets effectively in Indian market.

On 19 February 2024, India and the European Union (EU) started the seventh round of negotiations in New Delhi concerning the free trade agreement (FTA). These discussions also encompassed talks on an investment protection agreement (IPA) and a pact regarding geographical indications (GIs).

The International IP Index by the U.S. Chamber provides a blueprint for economies aiming to enhance the environment for innovation and creativity by implementing more robust intellectual property (IP) standards. According to the Index 2024, India maintained its 42nd position with a score of 38.64%, unchanged since 2022.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), one of the top public universities in Chennai, India, has experienced a nearly double increase in the number of Indian patents granted during the calendar year 2023. The institute obtained 300 Indian patents in the last calendar year, compared to 156 patents in 2022. Furthermore, the number of international patents filed, including those granted under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), also witnessed a significant increase, reaching 105 in 2023 compared to 58 in the previous year.

India IP SME Helpdesk will attend the MWC Barcelona virtually, one of the largest and most influential events for the connectivity ecosystem. The one time of year where global mobile operators, device manufacturers, technology providers, vendors, content owners come together under one roof. From March 4th to 8th, meet us online to learn more about our services related to intellectual property protection and management in India.

The International IP SME Helpdesks in collaboration with the Enterprise European Network (EEN) will host a series of training sessions to provide European small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and stakeholder actors with an overview of the relevance of intellectual property (IP) rights for a variety of sector and relevant IP clauses, with special focus on the most remarkable particularities of Africa, China, India, Latin America and South-East Asia. This session will mainly focus on how to use IP rights to negotiate and establish agreements with other companies.

In this session, we will explore the challenges that women-owned businesses encounter when striving to adequately protect their intellectual property (IP). It is crucial for these businesses to comprehend the impact of IP protection and to undertake strategic measures to safeguard their innovations, brands, and creative works. By doing so, they can ensure their long-term success and competitiveness in the marketplace.

The Future of Food – Sustainable FoodTech Solutions matchmaking event will be held at Anuga FoodTec in Cologne, Germany. It's a top international trade fair covering all aspects of food and beverage processing. Our team will be heading to Cologne to participate in the trade fair and its b2b event to raise awareness of the importance of intellectual property (IP) protection in India.

From 20-22 March, WindEurope’s annual on- and offshore wind energy event will be heading to Bilbao for a three-day conference and exhibition. India IP SME Helpdesk team will be present at the event to introduce our services to European small and medium enterprises that operate or intend to access the Indian market and look to improve their global competitiveness.