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Image by pch.vector on Freepik[This post is authored by Mohamed Thahir Sulaiman. Thahir is a third year BALLB (Hons) student from the National Law School of India University, with interests in corporate law and technology law. His previous posts can be accessed here.]
In an exciting development for students participating in international IP moot court competitions, the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), through its CIPAM Cell, has officially rolled out the International IP Moot Court Funding Guidelines (IIMCFG) 2025. This follows the Commerce and Industry Minister Mr. Piyush Goyal’s announcement in early 2025 that sponsorship would be provided for Indian law students selected for any IP moot court competition “anywhere in the world” (see here). This initiative aims to support Indian law students participating in leading international IP moot court competitions by providing financial assistance to eligible teams from recognised Indian law universities, colleges, and institutions.
A maximum of 10 teams per year will be sponsored under this, which will be selected strictly on a first-come, first-served basis. Only one team per university per year will be eligible under the guidelines. Universities can apply either before the event (with estimated expenses) or after the event (for reimbursement).
Scope of the Guidelines:
Under the IIMCFG 2025, teams may receive support for:
- Round-trip airfare (up to ₹1,50,000 per student)
- Accommodation (up to ₹7,500 per day per student for 7 days (max))
- Food/transport allowances (up to ₹7,500 per day per student for 7 days (max))
- Moot registration fees (up to ₹85,000 per team)
In total, the funding cap stands at ₹8.5 lakhs per team of three students.
Moots Covered:
Funding is currently available only for teams participating in the following competitions:
- Oxford International Intellectual Property Moot Court Competition (UK)
- WIPO IP Moot Court Competition
- INTA Asia Pacific Moot Court Competition
- William C. Vis International Moot Court Competition – IP rounds only
- Philip C. Jessup International Moot Court Competition – IP rounds only
(This list is subject to annual updates by CIPAM)
Eligibility:
To qualify, students must:
- Be currently enrolled in a recognised law university, college, or institution recognized by the Central or State Governments, including those recognized by the UGC.
- Have been selected for one of the listed competitions
- Be part of one team per institution per year (maximum three members)
Applications must be submitted by the university/institution to [email protected].
Selection Process:
Application Process
The Guidelines lay out a three-step application and evaluation framework:
Step 1: Submission of Application
Universities/Institutions must submit the application to [email protected] along with:
- Proof of selection into one of the eligible international IP moots
- Profiles and academic records of the participating students
- Brief profile of the University/College/Institution
- Either financial estimates (if applying before the event) or actual expense claims (if applying after the event)
For advance disbursal, institutions must later submit a Utilization Certificate and refund any unspent amount.
Step 2: Evaluation
The CIPAM Cell will verify eligibility and completeness of documents under the guidelines.
Step 3: Approval and Disbursement
Post approval by the Competent Authority within DPIIT, funds will be disbursed directly to the institution.
Timeline
- Applications, once made, will be acknowledged by the DPIIT within 5 working days.
- Evaluation and processing will be completed within 15 working days of receiving the documents and clarifications.
- Funds will be disbursed within 20 working days from the date of approval
The above timelines may be revised by the DPIIT from time to time if required.
For those interested, the full notification and detailed guidelines can be accessed here.