Kickstarting November with some good news for young IP policy enthusiasts, we are elated to announce the 1st National Policy Brief Competition on Intellectual Property & Innovation 2025! This exciting competition aims to encourage students to look beyond textbooks and statutory provisions, and to explore the dynamic relationship between intellectual property, innovation, and societal progress. By engaging with contemporary IP issues that shape India’s legal and creative ecosystem, the competition seeks to foster critical thinking and contribute meaningfully to the evolving discourse on intellectual property law.
Conceptualized as a collaboration between SpicyIP and the Cell for IPR Promotion and Management (CIPAM), Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), the competition invites written submissions on one of the two problem statements, which seek to capture some of the pressing challenges surrounding the regulation of SEPs and trade secrets in India, and encourage participants to propose practical, policy-oriented solutions to address them. The two broad themes for this year’s competition are:-
1) Trade Secrets & Confidential Information in the Pharmaceutical Sector,
2) Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) and Technological Innovation.
The SpicyIP team will shortlist the top 14 entries, which will then advance to a spirited pre-final round (online) of oral presentations. The top 8 teams from this stage will then compete in the grand finale at Vanijya Bhawan, New Delhi, where both rounds will be judged by some of the leading names in IP policy, academia, and practice.
This is not all, the top three entries will also be showcased on the SpicyIP Blog and the CIPAM website.
Prizes
The prize pool is ₹2,00,000 along with trophies and certificates of achievement.
| Award | Prize Money (INR) |
| Winner | 1,00,000 |
| 1st Runners Up | 60,000 |
| 2nd Runners Up | 40,000 |
But it’s not just about the money!
While the prize money is certainly a highlight, the true value lies in the experience that the competition aims to offer. The participants will have the chance to compete with some of the most talented peers from across the country and present their legal, analytical, and research skills in front of an esteemed panel of senior experts and practitioners.
This competition offers national recognition, along with the opportunity to contribute thoughtfully to important conversations shaping India’s IP landscape. If you’re looking to challenge yourself and make a meaningful impact beyond the classroom, this is the perfect platform.
Eligibility:
- The competition is restricted to law students only. The participants should be in either the 5 undergraduate law programme or the 3-year LL.B. programme offered by universities located in India.
- Teams may include members from both the five-year and three-year law programmes, provided all members belong to the same institution.
- Cross-university teams are not allowed, i.e., all participants in a team must be from the same institution.
- In case more than two teams from the same university participate, only the top two teams will be shortlisted from that university for the pre-finals stage.
- Each team will have 3 participants.
Registration & Submission:
- Registration for the competition is completely free!
- Two Google Forms will be used, one for Registration and another for Submission.
- Teams must first register by submitting details through the Registration Form.
- Upon registration, an auto-generated team code will be sent to the email used to register.
- This team code must be used while submitting the written submission through the submission form before the deadline. Any submissions without a team code will be considered disqualified.
- Participants will also be required to state this team code in their written submissions.
- Outside of the team code, participants are required to maintain anonymity and are not to mention their name or institutional affiliation, neither in the written submission nor during the subsequent oral presentations during the pre-final and final rounds.
Please read the attached Rules and Guidelines carefully for the detailed information on the format of the written submission and marking criteria.
Important Dates:
| Particulars | Date |
| Releasing the Problem Statement | November 3, 2025 |
| Deadline for the Written Submissions | December 14, 2025 |
| Pre-finals Round (Online) | February 10, 2026 (Tentative) |
| Finals Round (In-Person – New Delhi) | February 27, 2026 (Tentative) |
* The dates for the pre-final and final rounds, as well as the venue for the final round, are tentative and subject to change. Participants will be informed of any updates well in advance.
Important Links:
- Rules and Guidelines: (PDF)
- Problem Statements: (Participants are required to choose one of the following for their submission)
No 1. Trade Secrets & Confidential Information in the Pharmaceutical Sector (PDF)
No 2. Standard-Essential Patents (SEPs) and Technological Innovation (PDF)
In case of any doubts, queries, clarifications, or confusions with regards to the problem statements, guidelines or generally about the competition, please write to us at: academy[at]spicyip[dot]com.