Patent filing by multinationals in a newly industrialising country: a study of the Indian pesticides sector

Abstract

This paper examines the determinants of inter-firm differences in MNCs (Multinational Corporations) patent filing patterns in India, in pesticides. The variables, R&D intensity of the foreign firms, international orientation of the foreign firms, areawise patent filing, role of Indian subsidiary and the effect of firms being world market leaders, are used to explain the inter-firm differences in patent filing pattern. The study finds that the firms with international orientation, but not necessarily Indian orientation, file more patents in India. More R&D-intensive firms are not filing patents in India and also more patents are being filed in herbicides, whose production and consumption is less compared to insecticides in India. Subsidiaries operating in India have no influence on the patent filing pattern.