Are communications with Indian patent agents privileged?

"Are communications with Indian 'Patent Agents' privileged under the Evidence Act, 1872?" That's the title of a very recent post on SPICY IP by Prashant Reddy. For perfectly understandable reasons he declines to answer the question. What he does, however, is to assemble a good deal of hyperlinked materials that will enable the reader to draw his own conclusions.

Given the boom in patent-related activity in India, that country's increasingly significant presence on the international stage -- both on the side of generic manufacture and in support of its own R&D -- and given the attention that WIPO is giving to the subject of client-patent advisor privilege, this post is well worth a read if you or your Indian partner or subsidiary are currently dealing with, or against, Indian enterprises.