Maharashtra Constitutes Expert Committee to Address Patent Quality and Commercialization Challenges
MUMBAI: In response to rising patent filings but weak conversion into industry-ready innovations, the Maharashtra government has established a state-level expert committee. This initiative marks a significant policy shift, focusing on improving patent quality and strengthening commercialization from academic institutions.
Review Highlights Systemic Issues
A review by the Directorate of Technical Education (DTE) revealed that while patent applications from universities and colleges have surged in recent years, the proportion of granted patents remains low, and their transfer to industry is minimal. Persistent gaps include poor drafting quality, lack of technical understanding of patent law, non-response to First Examination Reports (FERs), and a tendency to file patents primarily for academic evaluation metrics rather than real-world impact.
Maharashtra, once India's top patent-filing state, has slipped to third position despite increasing application numbers. This decline has prompted the state government to intervene with a structured policy response aimed at addressing systemic weaknesses in its innovation ecosystem.
Government Resolution and Committee Formation
A Government Resolution issued on March 24, 2026, has set up a state-level committee on intellectual property (IPR) to tackle concerns ranging from poor patent quality to weak industry linkages. Data shows Maharashtra losing ground to faster-growing rivals like Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
According to data from the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, Maharashtra's patent filings rose from around 4,214 in FY21 to 7,806 in FY25. However, this growth has lagged behind Tamil Nadu's sharp surge to over 15,300 filings and Karnataka's rise to 8,371 in the same period, pushing Maharashtra from first to third place nationally.
Growth Mismatch and Emerging Competition
While Maharashtra posted a modest compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6% over five years, Tamil Nadu clocked a steep 58.9% growth and Karnataka 37.5%, reflecting stronger institutional support and policy alignment in those states. The data also shows emerging competition from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, indicating that legacy advantages alone are no longer sufficient to maintain leadership.
Quantity Over Quality Problem Identified
The resolution, issued by the Higher and Technical Education Department, identifies a structural weakness in the current ecosystem: a disproportionate focus on increasing patent filings rather than ensuring their quality, grant success, and commercial viability.
Officials noted that while institutions have ramped up filings, many applications fail to translate into granted patents or industry adoption. Poorly drafted specifications, weak claims, and inadequate technical disclosures often lead to objections during examination. Compounding this, many applicants fail to respond to FERs within statutory timelines, resulting in automatic abandonment of applications.
Another key concern is the growing trend of filing patents mainly to boost academic scores under frameworks such as NAAC and institutional rankings, with limited intent to pursue them to grant or commercialization.
Expert Panel to Drive Reform
To address these issues, the state has constituted an eight-member committee led by Dr. A B Pandit, vice-chancellor of the Institute of Chemical Technology. The panel brings together academic leaders and industry practitioners, including Ravindra Kulkarni of University of Mumbai, Prof. Faruk Kazi of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute, Divyendu Verma of DuxLegis Attorneys, Dr. Mridula Bele of NDVPS College of Pharmacy, Adv (Dr) Shraddha Gurjar-Damle of Jetsynthesys, and Dr. Sandeep Ansane of COEP Technological University. Dr. Sameer Kulkarni of ICT Mumbai will serve as member secretary.
The committee has been mandated to recommend measures to improve the quality, utility, and volume of patents, while ensuring their effective transition into industry applications. It is expected to submit its report within three months.
From Filings to Real-World Impact
The panel's scope goes beyond incremental fixes. It includes building capacity among faculty and researchers through hands-on training in patentability assessment, prior-art searches, drafting, and prosecution. It will also examine the creation of a state-level IP facilitation system to provide affordable technical support to institutions.
A key proposal under consideration is a centralized "patent bank"—a searchable repository of academic patents—to be made accessible to industry, particularly MSMEs, along with a framework for evaluating and grading patents. The committee will also explore a government-backed IP marketplace to connect innovators with industry partners.
To curb misuse, the panel is expected to recommend safeguards against filings done solely for academic credit and suggest mechanisms to plug procedural lapses such as failure to file examination requests or respond to patent office queries.
Policy Reset: Linking Funding to Outcomes
A significant shift proposed in the resolution is aligning research funding with outcomes rather than inputs. Under this model, state R&D support to institutions could be linked to measurable indicators such as patent grant rates, licensing revenue, industry adoption, and the quality of filings, each carrying equal weightage.
Institutions may also be required to publish an annual "patent pipeline dashboard" detailing filings, publications, grants, commercialization levels, and abandonment rates. Officials say this will improve transparency, enable benchmarking, and create peer pressure for better performance.
The policy also emphasizes capacity-building through sector-specific training modules in pharmaceuticals, engineering, IT, and clean technologies, delivered through a mix of online courses and regional workshops across the state.
In addition, the government is considering an accreditation framework for institutional IP cells, grading them based on performance and linking higher ratings to access to funding and incentives. Select universities may be designated as "IP anchor institutions" to mentor smaller colleges, particularly in rural and tribal regions.
Industry Backs Shift
Industry experts have welcomed the move, calling it a timely intervention. Divyendu Verma, a member of the committee, said the policy "goes beyond celebrating patent counts and directly addresses the quality and commercialization deficit in academic filings."
He added that a structured, committee-led mechanism could help rebuild a high-trust, industry-linked patent ecosystem if implemented effectively.
Execution Will Determine Outcomes
Analysts note that Maharashtra's decline from the top position is rooted in systemic issues such as weak drafting, procedural lapses, and misaligned incentives that favor filing volume over outcomes. While the new framework attempts to address these through funding reforms, capacity building, and institutional accountability, its success will hinge on sustained execution and political commitment.
With competing states accelerating their innovation ecosystems, the window for Maharashtra to reclaim leadership is narrowing. Experts say the real test will be whether the state can move beyond counting patents to creating high-quality, commercially viable innovations that deliver economic and societal impact.
