Policy Implications of India's Patent Reforms

Recent changes in India's patent policy indicate a paradigm shift in seeking greater protection of intellectual property rights. On one hand, this has given rise to fears being expressed over the impending collapse of local firms; on the other, there is optimism amidst expectation of a large increase in patent activity of domestic actors. This paper analyses the impact of the policy shift, examines the ability of domestic players to adjust to a new patent regime and suggests guidelines to ensure the policy's accessibility to a majority of players.