The 18th Meeting of the Heads of Intellectual Property (IP) Offices of BRICS countries concluded its second day in New Delhi with member countries reaffirming their commitment to strengthening multilateral cooperation in intellectual property and promoting innovation, creativity and sustainable economic development.
The three-day meeting from September 1 to 3, being hosted by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Around 35 delegates participated in the meeting through physical and virtual formats. Representatives from Russia, Iran and Ethiopia joined the deliberations online, while delegates from the other BRICS member offices attended in person.
The discussions were held in line with the theme of India’s BRICS Chairship – “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability” – highlighting the role of intellectual property frameworks in strengthening technological resilience and supporting sustainable economic growth.
A key outcome of the meeting was the adoption of Updated Operational Guidelines for IP BRICS, aimed at promoting result-oriented cooperation, facilitating cross-border innovation and strengthening joint efforts in the development of global intellectual property standards.
The participating IP offices also highlighted the importance of protecting traditional knowledge and traditional systems of medicine as part of the shared cultural and intellectual heritage of BRICS countries.
The meeting took note of progress under a study on reinforced patent examination cooperation within BRICS, which seeks to streamline examination processes, reduce backlogs and facilitate greater exchange of patent search results among member offices.
Delegates also discussed the use of patent analytics and landscape studies to support technological development. Findings related to patent analytics and geographical indications (GIs) were noted as tools to improve efficiency and strengthen the protection and commercialisation of GI products across BRICS markets.
The meeting further concluded deliberations on several new initiatives aimed at deepening institutional cooperation. These include the BRICS Intellectual Property Awareness Series, IP BRICS FinTech Innovation Monitor, BRICS Industrial Property Commercialisation Forum and Best Practices Repository.
Other proposed initiatives cover intellectual property policies related to public health and development, research on design systems of BRICS countries, and a Manual of Patent Documentation and Information Resources of BRICS Countries.
The Heads of IP Offices stressed the importance of effective coordination mechanisms and periodic reviews to ensure timely implementation of joint projects and continuity of cooperation within the IP BRICS framework.
The participating delegates appreciated the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks and the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for organising the meeting.
The hosting of the annual IP BRICS meeting under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship also reflects the country’s growing role in global intellectual property cooperation and its expanding IP ecosystem.
