18th BRICS IP offices adopt updated guidelines to improve cooperation

The 18th Meeting of the Heads of Intellectual Property (IP) Offices of BRICS countries concluded in New Delhi on Thursday, with member countries reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation in intellectual property, innovation and sustainable economic development.The three-day meeting, being held from September 1 to 3, is hosted by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM) under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
According to agency reports, a key outcome was the adoption of updated Operational Guidelines for IP BRICS to promote result-oriented cooperation, facilitate cross-border innovation and strengthen joint efforts in developing global IP standards.The participating offices also discussed the protection of traditional knowledge and traditional systems of medicine, along with progress on reinforced patent examination cooperation to streamline processes, reduce backlogs and improve the exchange of patent search results.
Delegates also discussed patent analytics, geographical indications (GIs) and their role in strengthening technological development and the protection and commercialisation of GI products across BRICS markets.The meeting concluded discussions on several new initiatives, including the BRICS Intellectual Property Awareness Series, IP BRICS FinTech Innovation Monitor, BRICS Industrial Property Commercialisation Forum and Best Practices Repository.Other proposals included cooperation on IP policies related to public health and development, research on BRICS design systems, and a Manual of Patent Documentation and Information Resources of BRICS Countries.
Around 35 delegates participated physically and virtually, with representatives from Russia, Iran and Ethiopia joining online. The meeting was held under India’s 2026 BRICS Chairship theme, “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”