(1)An applicant may file a request for expedited examination in Form 18A along with the fee as specified in the first schedule only by electronic transmission duly authenticated within the period prescribed in rule 24B on any of the following grounds, namely:-(a)that India has been indicated as the competent International Searching Authority or elected as an International Preliminary Examining Authority in the corresponding international application; or(b)[ that the applicant is a startup; or(c)that the applicant is a small entity; or(d)that if the applicant is a natural person or in the case of joint applicants, all the applicants are natural persons, then the applicant or at least one of the applicants is a female; or(e)that the applicant is a department of the Government; or(f)that the applicant is an institution established by a Central, Provincial or State Act, which is owned or controlled by the Government; or(g)that the applicant is a Government company as defined in clause (45) of section 2 of the Companies Act, 2013 (18 of 2013); or(h)that the applicant is an institution wholly or substantially financed by the Government;Explanation. - For the purpose of this clause, the term 'substantially financed' shall have the same meaning as in the Explanation to sub-section (1) of section 14 of the Comptroller and Auditor General's (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971(56 of 1971); or(i)that the application pertains to a sector which is notified by the Central Government on the basis of a request from the head of a department of the Central Government.:Provided that public comments are invited before any such notification; or(j)that the applicant is eligible under an arrangement for processing a patent application pursuant to an agreement between Indian Patent Office and a foreign Patent Office.Explanation. - The patentability of patent applications filed under clause (j) above will be in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Act.]
