Disclaimer….before you read ahead
The information contained herein is of a general nature and for information purposes only, with the intent of raising awareness around various resources, schemes etc. available for women entrepreneurs in India. It is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. It does not purport to be all-inclusive or necessarily contain all the information that may be relevant for the reader, and may be subject to updation, revision or amendment. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to remain accurate in the future. The reader, therefore, is required to exercise their discretion; and not act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
Furthermore, we are not a lender and are not authorized by the Reserve Bank of India to act as one. By disseminating the information contained herein, we are not soliciting any borrower or customers for the company or organization mentioned herein nor do we intend to syndicate any capital for the reader of this article.
About this scheme…
MSME Innovative (IPR) Scheme (erstwhile MSME IPR Promotion & Facilitation Scheme) was launched in March 2022 by Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India (MoMSMEs) to help MSMEs protect & commercialize their Intellectual Property (IP), including Patents, Trademarks, Designs, & Geographical Indications (GIs) — both in India & abroad.
Furthermore, this Scheme aims to improve the IP culture in India with the following interventions:
- By enhancing the awareness of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) amongst MSMEs & encouraging creative intellectual endeavour in Indian economy
- Take suitable measures for the protection of ideas, technological innovation & knowledge-driven business strategies developed by the MSMEs for their commercialization & effective utilization of IPR tools
This Scheme is a component of the broader MSME Innovative Scheme which combines Incubation, Design Intervention & IPR Protection initiatives of Ministry of MSMEs to enhance MSME competitiveness & transform them as National & International Champions.
Also note that the said MSME Innovation Scheme is a part of the MSME Champions Scheme, a one-stop place for MSME grievances & handholding of new setups.
How is it being implemented?
Under this Scheme, direct financial assistance in the form of grants, and facilitation support are provided to
through IPR Facilitation Centres (IPFCs) approved by Ministry of MSMEs.
What’s on offer?
I. Product
- Grants
- Patents
- Per Domestic Patent: up to ₹1 Lakh
- Per International Patent: up to ₹5 Lakhs
- Trademarks
- Per Trademark: up to ₹10,000
- Geographical Indications (GI)
- Per GI Registration: up to ₹2 Lakhs
- Designs/Industrial Designs
- Per Design Registration: up to ₹15,000
- This will be a onetime support from GoI subject to condition that same has not been claimed by the applicant under any other scheme of Central Government or State Government
- To know more about what constitutes each of these IPs, please refer Page 7 onwards of FAQs on MSME Innovative Scheme here
2. Legal & Intellectual Property Filing Support
3. IP Advisory, Consultation, Patentability Searches, Technology Gap Analyses & IP Commercialisation Support
II. Purpose
- Reimbursements of expenditure incurred towards registration of
- Patents
- Trademarks
- Geographical Indications (GI)
- Design/Industrial Designs
- Copyrights – For more information on this, please reach out to your nearest IPFC via means mentioned below
- Trade Secrets – For more information on this, please reach out to your nearest IPFC via means mentioned below
- Will not cover the cost incurred on renewal of applications or any other expenditure incurred towards assignment of IP, correction in application etc.
III. Grantee Type
- For Patent, Trademark and Design: Individuals, Sole Proprietorships, Partnership Firms, Limited Liability Partnerships (LLPs), Company
- For GI: All agencies, institutions, associations, institutes, non-profit bodies, NGOs, societies, trust, or similar other non-commercial bodies
IV. Tenure & Repayments
- Not Applicable
V. Turnaround Time
- Once an online application is filed, the designated IPFC will scrutinize the applicant documents comprehensively (based on completeness of documentation, eligibility, and the nature of the IPR applied for) and forward application to MoMSME for requisite approval. Upon approval of the application by MoMSME, the reimbursement will be done by the IPFC
- For more information on how long this is likely to take, please reach out to your nearest IPFC via means mentioned below
Interested? Read ahead to check your eligibility…
I. For Patent, Trademark and Design, does the applicant have a valid Udyam Registration?
OR
For Geographical Indication, does the applicant have a valid incorporation/establishment
documents, PAN number etc.?
II. Can you submit a self-declaration that you have not or are not claiming funding from any Central/State Government for the same Patent/Trademark/Design?
III. In case the applicant is an individual,
Do you own your business?
OR
Do you own at least 51% in the business in case of Partnership or Company?
If your answers are YES, you may be eligible to avail grant under the MSME Innovative (IPR) Scheme!
So…how big is this scheme and what has been done so far?
I. As of December 31, 2024, ₹8.91 Crores of expenditure have been incurred under this Scheme and the following number of IPs have been approved by IPFCs
-
- Patents: 73
- Trademarks: 616
- Design Registrations: 37
- GI Registration: 1
So, now, how should you go about it?
I. For submitting application, apply online
-
- For Patent registration expenses reimbursement, apply here
- For Trademark registration expenses reimbursement, apply here
- For Design registration expenses reimbursement, apply here
- For GI registration expenses reimbursement, apply here
II. For information on Application Process, Evaluation Process & Process Post Selection, please refer to guidelines around the Scheme from Page 16 onwards here
III. For any queries,
-
- E-mail your nearest MSME – Development Institute here. Please feel free to search for their office address online
OR
Go on then…and do spread the word!
Best,
Sources:
