PHDCCI in collaboration with Office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India organized National IP Journey (2 Day Workshop) PHDCCI in collaboration with Office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India organized National IP Journey (2 Day Workshop) at Hotel Babylon International, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) help in identifying and protecting innovations and also help in branding and marketing these innovative products, thereby generating immense wealth creation potential. The aim of this workshop was to build a strong IP ecosystem in the country and encourage MSMEs, Startups and other related stakeholders of the State of Chhattisgarh to register more IP applications and protect their innovations. The event was attended by eminent personalities like Dr. Ranjeet Mehta, CEO & Secretary General, PHDCCI, Mr. Pradeep Tandon, Chairman, PHDCCI Chhattisgarh State Chapter, Dr. H.P. Kumar, former Chairman & Managing Director, National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and Advisor, PHDCCI, Dr. Hulas Pathak, Head & Chief Investigator-CEO, RKVY, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raftar Agri Business Incubator, Dr. Amit Dubey, Scientist, Chhattisgarh Council of Science & Technology, Government of Chhattisgarh, Mr. Irpate Kishore, Assistant Director, MSME-DFO Raipur, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, Mr. Somnath Dey, Senior Advocate & Associate-Litigation & Prosecution, United & United, Ms. Kanchan Zutshi, Director, PHDCCI and Mr. Bharat Bajaj, Co-Chairman, PHDCCI Chhattisgarh State Chapter. More than 150 participants from MSMEs, Startups, Incubators and Technology Institutes attended the workshop.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Ranjit Mehta, CEO and Secretary General, PHDCCI underlined the importance of IP Journey and emphasized the need for creation and registration of innovations in the country. He said that India is rapidly progressing in the field of IPR and the number of registrations is increasing, which will boost the Indian economy and brands globally. He also said that India is a country of youth, which has immense talent and intellectual depth, which should be commercially leveraged. He urged the participants to adopt IPR as a tool for success. Shri Pradeep Tandon, Chairman, PHDCCI Chhattisgarh State Chapter, in his welcome address greeted all the attendees and emphasized the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) protection in today’s time. He said that IP rights like patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets are extremely important for MSMEs, businesses, entrepreneurs, artists and researchers. He also said that IP Journey provides a platform for experts, legal professionals, industry leaders and innovators to understand various aspects of intellectual property, legal framework and practical applications. He expressed his gratitude to all the key speakers, panelists and organisers who contributed in making the event a success.
Dr. H.P. Kumar, Former Chairman & Managing Director, NSIC and Advisor, PHDCCI, in his theme address apprised the innovators and entrepreneurs about the immense potential in this sector. He advised them not to share their concepts with anyone before filing the IP application. He advised MSMEs to file IP application free of cost through Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) of PHDCCI. He also said that if someone else already registers the idea, that person will become the legal owner of the same and the original innovator will not be able to reap the benefits of his hard work. He emphasized that filing of intellectual property rights is important and the Ministry of MSME, Government of India provides significant support to all MSMEs in this process.
Dr. Hulas Pathak from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya emphasized the importance of knowledge sharing but also stressed the need to protect innovations. He informed that agriculture sector has immense potential for MSMEs, startups and innovators as there is a huge market available for new products and research-based innovations in the sector. He said that Indira Gandhi Agricultural University conducts extensive research in agriculture and related industries, which provides many opportunities for innovation. Dr. Amit Dubey, scientist of Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology, said that research is not enough, but its implementation is more important. He told that India has published the highest number of 4 lakh research papers globally, but the real challenge is to ensure their practical use. Giving the example of Microsoft revolutionizing the computer industry, he said that at present India is leading the world in AI applications. He advised entrepreneurs to do the packaging and branding of their products themselves so that they can take full advantage of their innovations. Shri Irpate Kishore, Assistant Director, MSME-DFO Raipur, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, in his keynote address, gave information about various schemes and financial assistance available for MSMEs. He told that the aim of the Government of India is to promote MSMEs and businesses not only at the national level but also at the international level. He elaborated on various schemes of the Ministry including Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), Mudra Loan Scheme, Common Facilitation Centre (CFC) Scheme, ZEE Scheme, LEAN Scheme and MSME Innovative Scheme. He also informed that if the products of MSMEs meet global standards, the Government bears all the cost of creating their international recognition.
The inaugural session was followed by technical sessions of the workshop in which experts discussed various topics related to IP including IP registration and its processes, patents/innovations and Government support to MSMEs. The workshop highlighted the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) not only for identifying and protecting innovations but also for brand building and marketing. Strong IP protection is helpful in wealth creation and economic growth. The workshop will be held for two days, discussing licensing and franchising, leveraging IP for investment and funding, joint ventures and strategic alliances, effective protection and enforcement of intellectual property rights, and penal provisions for infringement of intellectual property rights. The workshop will provide an opportunity to the participants to interact with IP experts and get their IP related queries resolved through the helpdesk. The IP helpdesk will be available to help the participants understand the IPR registration process, avail reimbursement under the schemes of the Ministry and get necessary guidance.