The process of patent application in India is similar to most countries. First, the persons who can apply for a patent application are the true or first inventor, an assignee or a legal representative. The form is to be properly filled and submitted at the required Indian Patent Office. The 4 main offices in India are located at Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. You need to file application only with the offices which comes under the jurisdiction of your state of residence, or the place of origin of invention. Also, for foreign applicants who do not have a business place or are not resident of India can take the help of a patent agent to file the application with the correct office.
Priority Date is the initial or very first date on which you file the patent application. The Priority Date carries a lot of significance. The application with the earlier filing date gets first priority.
The patent office also considers the application with an earlier priority date for foreign or international filing. All the applications filed subsequently will have similar priority date as that of the parent application. Hence, you refer these subsequent applications as the family members of the parent application. The process of patent application is generally the same with only a minor change in format. This depends on the country where you file the application for. The applicant needs to take the help of the patent agent or attorney of the required country as he/she will not be able to file individually.
A Quick Guide to Patents