India promises ‘promotion of IP’ in national IPR policy

The Indian government has approved its intellectual property rights policy, promising to increase awareness of IP rights and enhance access to healthcare.

The policy, published on Thursday, May 12, is compliant with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) TRIPS Agreement.

According to the policy, the government wants to stimulate a dynamic, vibrant and balanced IP system to foster creativity and innovation, and enhance access to healthcare, food security and environmental protection and other sectors of “social, economic and technological importance”.

On access to medicine, the policy adds that it will ensure enhanced access to affordable medicines and other healthcare solutions by encouraging cross-sector partnerships between the public and private sector, universities and non-governmental organisations and by promoting novel licensing models.

The government added that a “nation-wide programme of promotion” should be launched with an aim to improve awareness about the benefits of IP rights and their value to rights owners and the public.

The “Make in India” campaign, an initiative launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014 to encourage multi-national and national companies to manufacture products in India, will also be continued.