"Now it will be possible for applicants to file their international applications with the patent office from today," industry minister Sikander Bakht said here on Monday.

India has entered into an understanding with some countries which have agreed to designate their patent offices as International Searching Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority, he added.

The government has approved an ambitious Rs 75-crore project for modernising the patent office, Bakht said. A National Patent Office will also be set up soon, the minister added. While modernising systems and introducing legislation, care will be taken to protect the country's bio-diversity and traditional systems and practices, he said.

Bakht also mentioned the initiatives taken by the government to strengthen intellectual-property administration, like modernisationof patent information systems and trademarks registry. These two projects, which have received technical assistance from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (Wipo), are being finetuned to meet users' needs, the minister said.

Meanwhile, Bakht said that the government was likely to introduce a bill in parliament next week to amend the Patents Act to provide exclusive marketing rights (EMRs) to foreign agro-chemical and pharmaceuticals firm.

"We are going to take the bill to parliament next week," Bakht told reporters when asked about the bill's future at a Wipo seminar he inaugurated.

"The government is sure of getting the amendment bill passed in parliament. I am not just optimistic, but sure that the bill will be passed by parliament," he said. According to him, the government has enough support to pass the amendment.

The union cabinet on November 23 had decided to amend the Patents Act of 1970, which would give EMRs to overseas pharmaceutical and agro-chemical firms. India faces a WorldTrade Organisation (WTO)-set deadline of April 19, 1999, to take positive steps to amend its patent regime.

The Patents Act is being amended to fulfil India's assurance to the dispute-settlement body of the WTO to provide legally backed patent cover to foreign pharmaceutical and agro-chemical manufacturers following a complaint lodged by the US and the European Union.