The patent office’s objection was that a skilled person could get to the said invention by combining of knowledge and existing inventions. Thus, the TVS application did not constitute an invention as defined under the rule.

A final hearing on the application was held on September 13, on further objections raised by the patent office. Among these were that certain claims, even after being amended, were lacking in the relevant parameters, some details were not disclosed and there was some inconsistency between claims. The company addressed these objections and argued for patent protection.

However, the patent office, Delhi, decided the application did not comply with the relevant requirements.

The decision comes as there is speculation that the government of Karnataka could ban two-stroke three-wheelers from end-April 2020. The central government is currently pushing automobile manufacturers to move to more environmental-friendly automobiles, such as electric vehicles, to reduce emission levels across the country.