Request for Expedited Examination of Application for Patent (Form 18A) (India)

Open Legal LibraryUpdated 21 Jul 2026

This form is used by patent applicants in India to request an expedited examination of their patent application. It allows startups or applicants who used India as an International Searching/Preliminary Examining Authority to speed up the patent review process.

“FORM 18 A THE PATENTS ACT,1970 and THE PATENT RULES,2003 REQUEST FOR EXPEDITED EXAMINATION OF APPLICATION FOR PATENT [See section 11B and Rule 24C]

(FOR OFFICE USE ONLY) RQ. No.: Filing Date: Amount of fee Paid: CBR no: Signature:

1. APPLICANT(s) (A)NAME: (B) NATIONALITY: (C) ADDRESS:

2. I/We ---hereby request that my/our application for patent no.---filed on---for --- ---the---invention titled --- ---shall be examined under sections 12 and 13 of the Act. or I/We ---hereby request that my/our application for patent no.---filed on---for --- ---the---invention titled --- --- based on Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application no... dated... made in country ... shall be examined under sections 12 and 13 of the Act, immediately without waiting for the expiry of 31 months as specified in rule 20(4)(ii). or I/We hereby request that my/our request for examination bearing no.---for application for patent no.---filed on---for --- the---invention titled --- ---may be converted to a request for expedited examination of patent application under rule 24C and the application shall be examined under sections 12 and 13 of the Act.

The applicant(s) to indicate (by ticking the appropriate box) any of the grounds applicable in case of request for expedited examination made by on any of the following grounds:

a that the applicant is a startup, or c that India has been indicated as the competent International Searching Authority or elected as an International Preliminary Examining Authority in the corresponding international application.

ADDRESS FOR SERVICE IN INDIA:

... ...

Dated this day of 20

Signature

Name of the signatory

To

The Controller of Patent

The Patent Office, at ...

NOTE:

To be signed by the applicant(s) or by his/ their authorized registered patent agent

"Strike out the column(s) which is/ are not applicable.";

For fee: See First Schedule.";

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About this template

What is this template?

This document is a formal statutory form used to request the Controller of Patents to expedite the examination of a patent application. It is specifically Form 18A under the Indian Patents Rules and is not a standard Form 18 request for ordinary examination.

When should you use it?

Use this form when you meet specific criteria for acceleration, such as startup status, rather than using the standard Form 18 for a normal examination queue.

What's inside

ClauseNameWhat it does
Paragraph 1Applicant DetailsIdentifies the name, nationality, and address of the applicant filing for expedited patent examination.
Paragraph 2Grounds for Expedited ExaminationRequires the applicant to specify the statutory reason for the request, such as status as a startup or selecting India as the International Searching Authority.
Paragraph 3DeclarationContains a formal statement that the information provided is correct and the applicant is authorized to make the request.

Who it's for

  • a startup or small entity seeking to accelerate a patent application in India
  • an applicant who has selected India as the International Searching Authority in their PCT application

How long it runs and how it's signed

How long
Used once
Signed by
applicant or authorized agent
Witness
Not required
Notarisation
Not required
Also needed
payment of prescribed fee; submission to the Controller of Patents

Law it's drafted under

Governed by
Patents Act, 1970
Governed by
Patents Rules, 2003
Prescribed under
Form 18A
Jurisdiction
India
Document info
PDF document. Document created on Fri Jun 26th, 2026. Last updated on Tue Jul 21st, 2026.
This document is public
Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (Attribution).
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