What steps can be taken to expedite the grant of a patent application?

Following steps can be taken to expedite the grant of an application:

1. File a request for examination at the time of filing of application.
2. File a request for publication of application in case the 18 months’ period from priority date has not lapsed, as an application will be taken up for examination only after it has been published.
3. In case of a national phase application, an express request for examination may be filed so that the Indian Patent Office may process the application before the expiry of 31 months from the priority date.
4. In case the applicant meets any of the criterion for filing a request for expedited examination, the applicant may file a request for expedited examination.
5. File a response to the FER at the earliest.
6. The applicant may choose to voluntarily amend the claims (before receiving the FER) on the basis of the claims granted in the corresponding foreign patent applications. However, doing so is not advisable in all the cases as this may also result in adding unnecessary limitations to the claims.