India Leaps to 6th Position in Global Patent Filing

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Record Patent Filing by Residents Helps India Raises Innovation Profile

By S Jha

New Delhi, November 16: India has now jumped to the sixth position in the global patent filing. Also, more than half of the patent applications were filed by the resident Indians last year.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in its annual World Intellectual Property Indicators (WIPI) 2024 report highlighted the growth and evolution of patents, trademarks, and industrial designs across key global economies, with particular attention to emerging markets and innovation hubs.

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“Among these economies, India stands out as a rapidly growing player in the global IP landscape, making significant strides in all three major IP categories—patents, trademarks and industrial design. India has solidified its position as a global leader in intellectual property filings, securing a spot in the top 10 countries for patents, trademarks, and industrial designs,” said the Ministry of Commerce in a media statement.

One of the findings in the 2024 report is India’s performance in the global IP landscape. “India recorded +15.7% growth in patent applications in 2023, continuing its streak of double-digit growth for the fifth consecutive year. This surge places India among the top countries contributing to global patent filings, signalling the country’s increasing role as a global innovation hub,” added the statement of the Ministry.

India now ranks 6th globally in terms of patent applications, with 64,480 patent filings in 2023. This puts India among the leading nations, including China, the United States, Japan, and South Korea, in terms of intellectual property activity.

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For the first time, more than half (55.2%) of India’s patent applications in 2023 were filed by residents. “This demonstrates India’s increasing domestic innovation capabilities, with Indian companies, universities, and research institutions now playing a major role in generating new technologies and intellectual property,” said the Ministry.

India also saw a 149.4% increase in the number of patents granted in 2023 compared to the previous year. This rapid growth in granted patents underscores the efficiency of India’s patent office in processing applications and granting IP rights. It also reflects the rising quality of applications being filed, with many innovations meeting global standards.

India’s patent-to-GDP ratio — a measure of the economic impact of patent activity — grew significantly, from 144 in 2013 to 381 in 2023. This means that as India’s economy expands, its patent activity is scaling up in tandem, signalling the increasing importance of innovation in driving economic growth.

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A higher patent-to-GDP ratio is often seen as a sign of a knowledge-driven economy, where innovation and intellectual property play a central role in economic development.

India’s industrial design filings were led by key sectors such as Textiles and Accessories, Tools and Machines, and Health and Cosmetics. These sectors accounted for nearly half of all design filings, underscoring India’s strength in both traditional industries like textiles and emerging sectors like health and cosmetics.

“The textile and fashion sectors, in particular, benefit from India’s rich cultural heritage and the increasing demand for innovative product designs, both domestically and internationally,” added the Ministry.

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The surge in industrial design applications highlights the ongoing transformation of India’s manufacturing sector. India’s growth in industrial design applications is notable when compared to global IP filing trends.

While countries like China and the United States continue to dominate in the patent and trademark space, India’s rising figures in industrial design reflect its increasing competitiveness in product design and creativity.

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