Minutes - TRIPS Council - View details of the intervention/statement

H.E. Ambassador Lundeg Purevsuren
12 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AND INNOVATION:
326.   We thank the proponents for their submission on making MSMEs competitive. Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) throughout the world have a vast employment potential and contribute significantly to the trading environment of a country. MSMEs play a major role in most economies, particularly in developing countries. If we go by statistics, MSMEs seem to be the lifeline of economic development in developing counties. They represent about 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide. India is essentially a knowledge-based, entrepreneurship driven economy. In India the MSME sector, through more than 8,000 products, ranging from traditional to high tech precision items, contributes about 45% to the total manufacturing output and 40% to the exports. The MSME sector has the potential to spread industrial growth across the country and can be a major partner in the process of inclusive growth. 327.   However, several factors impede the growth of innovation in the MSME sector. Their market penetration is restricted due to the size of their organizations. Further securing and enforcing IP is challenging due to the costs involved. Hence, there is a need to enhance awareness about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) to enable MSMEs to take measures for protecting their ideas and business strategies. Effective utilization of IPR tools by MSMEs would also assist them in technology upgrading and enhancing competitiveness. In this regard, the contribution of WIPO's Technology Innovation Support Centres in India has been quite beneficial in spreading awareness on IPR. Both MSMEs as well as Universities provide the ideal platforms for setting up such centres. 328.   A number of efforts are being undertaken by India to promote innovation at the level of MSMEs. India declared the decade of 2011-2020 as the Decade of Innovation. Further, to enhance awareness of MSMEs about Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), India has launched a scheme titled "Building Awareness on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)" for the MSMEs. 329.   In addition, a scheme for facilitating Start Ups Intellectual Property Protection (SIPP) was launched by India to facilitate IP creation among Start-Ups by providing several incentives such as reduced official fees, filing and prosecution assistance etc. Various roadshows are also being organized on 'IPR and National IP Policy' to appraise people about the benefits to MSMEs towards promoting IP filings. The Government of India has introduced 50% fee reduction for IP applications of MSMEs. 330.   India strongly believes that intellectual property is only one element in a larger innovation ecosystem and IP laws alone do not promote technological development. Innovation must be backed by means to make it affordable and ensure adoption.
IP/C/M/94, IP/C/M/94/Add.1