India Proposes Major Reform of Design Law

The Government of India has proposed a major reform of the country’s design protection framework through wide-ranging amendments to the Designs Act, 2000. The initiative, outlined in a Concept Note released in January 2026 by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), aims to modernize the law in response to technological advances and the increasingly global and digital nature of design creation.

The proposed amendments set out a wide range of changes aimed at modernising the design protection framework. Among other measures, they seek to expand the scope of protectable subject matter to include virtual and digital designs, improve and streamline filing and enforcement procedures, and clarify the relationship between design protection and copyright law. Overall, the reform package is intended to update the system to reflect technological developments and evolving international practices, and to enhance legal certainty for stakeholders.