India enacted the Patents Act 1970 to support domestic innovation and establish a robust pharmaceutical sector by initially recognizing only process patents.
In 2005, India amended its patent law to align with TRIPS obligations, integrating flexibilities to balance innovation rewards and access to life-saving medicines.
Amendments introduced safeguards like granting patents to genuine innovations, avoiding evergreening, allowing early generic launches, and a robust pre-grant opposition mechanism.
Despite changes, the industry has shown growth with rising patent filings and the pharmaceutical sector's increased competitiveness, demonstrating India's global leadership in using TRIPS flexibilities for public health.