Julia Siripurapu
Corporate Associate, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC, Boston, MA, U.S.A.
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of technology transfer practices in India, with a focus on technology transfer programs in academic institutions. In the first part of this paper, I provide an analysis of the current research and development framework in India, outline the applicable governmental policies and discuss in detail the governmental organizations and agencies that promote and sponsor research in Indian colleges and universities. In the second part of the paper, I provide an overview of the intellectual property regime in India and discuss the Indian patent, copyright and trademark laws. In Part III, I discuss and outline the intellectual property policies of seven (7) premier Indian educational institutions as well as discuss the initiative of the government of India to promote awareness of intellectual property rights through academic institutions. Part IV of the paper covers the interface between industry and academia in India. Part V is a detailed discussion of the technology transfer practices of the each of the seven (7) Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and India’s most renowned science institution, the Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc). Lastly, in Part VI, I discuss the Indian government’s efforts to encourage and facilitate technology transfer in India.
