The Government of India has taken various steps to further strengthen the IPR and GI

Agricultural, natural or manufactured goods are registered as Geographical Indications (GI) by the Geographical Indications Registry as per the provisions of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act, 1999.

The Government is not aware of any index by the name of International Intellectual Property (IP) Index published by any multilateral organisation. However, a private entity namely, Global Intellectual Property Centre of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, prepares an International Intellectual Property Index, which does not provide a composite view of the IP regime in any country. The intellectual property rights indicators used in the index are selective and hence not a true reflection of the state of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) protection and innovation in India.

India has a well-established legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs, which meets its international obligations while utilizing the flexibilities provided in the international regime to address its developmental concerns. India has a Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) compliant, robust, equitable and dynamic IPR regime.

In addition, the Government of India has taken various steps to further strengthen the IPR regime of the country, some of which are as follows:

• The National IPR Policy, 2016 was adopted on 12.05.2016 as a vision document to guide future development of IPRs in the country.
• The administration of Copyright Act, 1957 and Semiconductor Integrated Circuits Layout-Design Act, 2000, along with their associated Registries, has been transferred to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Subsequently, under the Finance Act, 2017, the Copyright Board has also been merged in the Intellectual Property Appellate Board.
• The Patents Rules, 2003 and the Trademarks Rules, 2002 have been amended whereby the IP processes have been re-engineered to streamline them and make them more user-friendly.
• Manpower in the Intellectual Property offices has been ramped up significantly with fresh recruitments. This augmentation of manpower has already had a salutary effect on the examination and disposal of patent and trademark applications. The examination time for trademark applications has come down from the earlier 13 months to just 1 month. The disposal of patent applications has increased by more than twofold in 2018-19 vis-à-vis 2015-16.
• IPR awareness and training programmes are held for academic institutions, industry associations and enforcement agencies.
• Special provisions have been made for startups and MSMEs.

• The Government has entered into an agreement with WIPO for establishment of Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC).
• The Commercial Courts set up under the Commercial Courts, Commercial Division and Commercial Appellate Division of High Courts Act, 2015 also deal with IP disputes.
• India has acceded to a number of multilateral treaties and agreements in the past two years, such as WIPO Copyright Treaty, WIPO Performance and Phonograms Treaty, Nice Agreement concerning the international classification of goods & services for the purposes of registration of marks, the Vienna Agreement establishing an international classification of the figurative elements for marks and Locarno Agreement establishing an international classification for industrial designs.

As on 20.07.2019, 301 Indian products have been registered as GIs. The list of Indian GI products registered State-wise is given below:

List of Indian GI Products eligible for use of GI Logo: