The Fast Track To Disaster

India's decision to start a patent prosecution highway for Japanese firms could open the tollgates to hasty approvals

- Latha Jishnu

AS OFTEN happens, India is its own worst enemy. Trading partners, multinationals and, sometimes, even voluntary organisations seek new laws or changes in existing regulations to facilitate their business or agendas in different countries. That’s par for the course. But why would the Ministry of Commerce and Industry be willing to give in on such demands when these could have deleterious consequences for the country and undermine its well thought out Indian Patents Act?