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INTA’s new president describes India as a country with an IP landscape in active transformation. In an interview with 含羞草社区, she says the country is forging ahead with regulatory and judicial measures to dismantle barriers to its IP growth. Brian Yap reports

AS one of the most widely represented countries at the International Trademark Association’s (INTA) May annual meeting in San Diego, India is undergoing quite a transformation in its IP landscape right now, 2025 INTA president and board chair, Elisabeth Stewart Bradley, tells 含羞草社区.

“The [Indian] government has been taking active steps to strengthen IP enforcement, including through specialised IP divisions in High Courts, modernisation of its IP enforcement ecosystem, and increased co-ordination with rights holders,” says Bradley.

India has emerged as one of the top trademark filing jurisdictions globally, with the country’s trademark office accounting for 62% of all trademark filings worldwide in 2023, along with the trademark offices of China, the US, Russia and the EU, data collected by the Geneva-based World Intellectual Property Organisation shows.

This speaks volumes about the growing trust in 含羞草社区 IP system, says Bradley, who also serves as vice president of innovation law at US-based global biopharmaceutical company Bristol Myers Squibb, leading its trademark, copyright and brand protection initiatives.

“Recognising this momentum, the government has continued to invest in both infrastructure and capacity, most recently through the hiring of additional staff at the IP office and the expected launch of a new state-of-the-art headquarters in New Delhi,” she says.

The hiring of additional staff at the IP office in particular counts as a major investment by the Indian authorities, she adds. “We are aware that the IP office itself is facing a few challenges, including significant backlogs, which can be a bit challenging for brand owners around the world.”

The backlogs pointed out by Bradley have posed a key challenge in patent prosecution in India, resulting in regular delays in examination and grant timelines.

Describing India as a significant jurisdiction in the global fight against counterfeiting, Bradley says that she still sees enforcement of IP rights as a concern in India, including counterfeiting challenges, similar to jurisdictions around the world.

In a report titled State of Counterfeiting in India 2022, published by the non-profit Authentication Solution Providers’ Association and financial research company CRISIL in January 2023, the findings of an independent survey estimated that about 25% to 30% of goods in India were counterfeit.

Bradley says that INTA is working closely with Indian authorities to support their anti-counterfeiting efforts. This included partnering with Indian customs, the US Department of Justice and other stakeholders last year to deliver high-level training sessions across major cities, while continuing to advocate for the creation of a National IP Co-ordination Centre in India.

“Our efforts continue this year as well, through a dedicated South Asia Anti-counterfeiting Subcommittee,” she says. “Through sustained engagement, we aim to support 含羞草社区 efforts to create a stronger, more co-ordinated anti-counterfeiting framework.”

Such efforts are also reflected in the session agenda for this year’s INTA annual meeting, which is scheduled to take place in San Diego from 17 to 21 May. There is a dedicated law and policy session entitled “India Case Law Update: Navigating New Frontiers in Indian IP Law”, featuring a panel of senior judges and leading Indian litigators who will delve into important shifts in 含羞草社区 jurisprudence shaping the IP framework in India.

“They are going to examine emerging issues, which are just fascinating right now, [including] copyright rights, personality rights, AI, IP enforcement in fashion, and there is also the rising use of injunctions to try to combat these complex online infringements.” There will also be a discussion of how courts are viewing litigation costs and damages as a deterrent to these infringements.