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Why we picked it This nails the exact cost trade-off in your answer: file the PCT within 12 months of your first Indian patent filing, then you get up to 31 months from your priority date before you must enter each country's national phase and start paying per-country agent and translation fees. That is roughly 20 months of runway to see the international search report and validate demand before spending, which is why it maps cleanly to a startup's funding cycles. Miss the 31-month deadline and Indian rights are gone with no extension.
PCT National Phase Application in India
From S.S. Rana & Co. by S.S. Rana & Co. 12 min read
- File the PCT within 12 months of your first Indian filing to preserve your priority date globally
- The PCT defers per-country filing and prosecution costs up to 31 months, buying time to pick markets
- Missing the 31-month national phase deadline permanently loses patent rights, so calendar it hard