New Delhi: With the aim of encouraging domestic industry, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has offered free access to over 450 patents for commercial exploitation.

This unprecedented move is intended to provide a boost to domestic industries, especially in the strategic sector by the DRDO, which has a network of over 50 national laboratories, involved in research and development.

Under this new policy, the DRDO will offer complete access to its patents filed in India without any licensing or royalty fees. It has displayed both the procedure and the complete list of technologies on its website.

The technologies, relating to missiles, life sciences, electronics and communications, naval and aeronautics systems, combat engineering, electronics, armaments. among others, have military applications and some have spin offs that can be transferred to commercial market.

The DRDO has taken the lead as other leading R&D bodies like the Council of Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), Department of Space, National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), which have portfolios of national and international patents offer them for a fee and royalty.

“It’s better to offer some patents free than keeping them in the shelf and pay hefty protection fee for its lifetime. After all, commercial exploitation is the key factor that should determine patents,” feel experts.

The industry must apply with a fee of Rs 1000, along with relevant technical and financial details. It will then be screened by an expert committee and if eligible a non-exclusive license for one year will be granted.

Earlier, the Defence Ministry had formulated Transfer of Technology Policy, Make in India initiative, and Defence Production Policy to encourage domestic industries.