A national workshop took place at the College of Horticulture in Rajendranagar, focusing on the importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) for protecting innovations in horticulture. Sri Konda Laxman Telangana Horticultural University (SKLTHU) hosted the event, with support from the Telangana Council of Science & Technology (TGCOST) and SKLTHU’s IPR Cell. Participants included researchers, academics, legal experts, and farmers.
Dr. Danda Raji Reddy, Vice Chancellor of SKLTHU, emphasized the need to safeguard both farmer-driven and institutional innovations. He urged faculty and students to regularly file patents, setting a goal of one patent per month for the university. He highlighted ethical protection in horticulture and mentioned SKLTHU’s accomplishments in developing new crop varieties and securing Geographical Indication (GI) registrations for Balanagar custard apple and Armoor turmeric. He also announced funding for patentable research from university members.
The Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, along with the Environment, Forests, Science & Technology Department, Government of Telangana, provided financial support for the workshop.
Subhajit Saha, Head of Legal & IPR at Resolute for IP, delivered a keynote on the advantages of patents and GI protections. He highlighted successful GI registration examples from India and commended SKLTHU’s thorough GI documentation, noting that GI-tagged products often see a 10–15% price increase.
Dr. J. Cheena, Dean of Horticulture, supported the idea of “One Scientist, One Patent Per Year.” Dr. Pidigam Saidaiah, Organising Secretary, spoke about SKLTHU’s efforts to document and protect Telangana’s traditional horticultural practices and farmer varieties under IPR.
The workshop ended with interactive sessions, case study discussions, and a shared commitment to integrate IPR awareness into horticultural education. The event was attended by professors, scholars, students, and grassroots innovators.
