India proposes new patent practice manual as IP Office seeks stakeholder input

India’s IP Office has published a new draft patent practice manual incorporating recent legislative, procedural, and technological developments and is inviting stakeholder comments for 30 days.

The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) has published a Draft Manual of Patent Office (Practice & Procedure), 2026 and invited stakeholders to submit comments and suggestions within 30 days of publication.

The draft was published on August 20, 2026, according to the official IP India resources page.

The consultation represents a significant proposed update to the Indian Patent Office’s practice guidance. The existing Patent Office manual dates from 2019, while the new draft seeks to incorporate subsequent changes to India’s patent legislation, rules, examination guidance, and case law.

2024 Rules and subsequent legislative changes

One of the most important features of the draft is its incorporation of developments since the existing manual was issued.

The draft takes account of the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024, the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023, and the SHANTI Act, 2025, as well as other developments in Indian patent practice.

For practitioners, the significance is less that the manual creates new law and more that it seeks to consolidate the procedural consequences of those developments within the Patent Office’s practice framework.

This should make the draft particularly important for applicants and attorneys trying to understand how recent amendments translate into day-to-day prosecution before the Indian Patent Office.

Computer-related inventions

The draft also incorporates references to the Guidelines for Examination of Computer-Related Inventions, 2025.

That is likely to be of particular interest to applicants operating in software, artificial intelligence and other technology sectors.

The CRI Guidelines have become an important part of the Indian Patent Office’s examination framework for computer-related inventions, making their inclusion in the new manual a significant development for practitioners handling such applications.

The draft should therefore be read alongside the separate examination guidance rather than as a replacement for it.

AI enters the wider examination framework

The new manual also comes shortly after the CGPDTM issued Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Patent Examination Procedures.

The AI guidance and the new practice manual form part of a wider modernization of Patent Office procedures, with automation, IT enablement and electronic processing identified as important areas of the draft.

For patent practitioners, the development is notable because artificial intelligence is increasingly being used both by applicants and IP offices, creating new questions around examination workflows and the role of technology in patent administration.

Recent case law incorporated

Another important feature is the inclusion of references to recent case law.

The draft seeks to reflect judicial developments that have occurred since the current manual was issued, giving practitioners a consolidated reference point for understanding the relationship between Patent Office procedure and developments before the Indian courts.

This could be particularly useful in areas where court decisions have influenced how applications are examined or how procedural requirements are interpreted.

Digitization and electronic processing

The proposed manual also places continuing emphasis on the digitization of patent administration.

Automation of office protocols, IT enablement, and electronic processing of patent applications are identified among the key areas of the proposed update.

For applicants and attorneys, these changes matter because procedural compliance increasingly depends on electronic filing systems and communications with the Patent Office.

A consolidated description of current digital procedures could therefore be particularly useful for international applicants and counsel managing Indian patent portfolios remotely.

What practitioners should examine

The consultation provides practitioners with an opportunity to assess whether the draft accurately reflects current Patent Office practice and whether any provisions could create uncertainty for applicants.

At least four areas warrant particular attention:

• Recent amendments. Practitioners should compare the draft against the Patents (Amendment) Rules, 2024, and subsequent legislative developments to determine how the new framework describes current prosecution procedures.
• Computer-related inventions. Applicants in software, AI, and related fields should examine the treatment of the 2025 CRI Guidelines and how they are reflected in the broader examination framework.
• Case law. Practitioners should assess whether recent judicial developments have been accurately incorporated and whether the draft reflects the current legal position.
• Digital processing. Applicants and attorneys should review the provisions dealing with electronic processing and automation to identify any changes in practical workflow.

These issues are especially relevant for international patent owners, for whom differences in national prosecution procedures can have significant portfolio-management consequences.

30-day consultation

The CGPDTM has given stakeholders 30 days from publication of the draft to submit comments and suggestions.

The official notice specifies that submissions should be sent to the CGPDTM at the email addresses listed in the notice.

The patent consultation is taking place alongside the shorter consultation on the revised Trade Marks Office practice manual, for which stakeholders have only 15 days to respond.

The two consultations represent a significant attempt to update the procedural guidance underpinning India’s patent and trademark systems.

For patent practitioners, the immediate task is to review the 2026 draft against the existing manual, recent legislative amendments, examination guidelines, and relevant case law before the consultation closes.

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