India becomes world’s 6th largest patent filer

New Delhi: India has surged into the league of global innovation leaders, with the government announcing that the country now ranks as the world’s 6th largest patent filer.

Addressing the annual tech festival INNOTECH’25 at the KIET Group of Institutions, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh revealed that India has crossed the 64,000‐patent milestone, and more than 55 per cent of these filings are by resident Indian innovators “a sharp departure from the earlier trend of innovators depending on foreign institutions for research, mentorship, and project completion,” the Government said in a statement.

The minister emphasised that this uptick in domestic patenting reflects a “most compatible milieu at home,” fostered by sustained policy interventions and institutional support under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

He further pointed to India’s significant leap in the Global Innovation Index, moving from Rank 81 to Rank 38, describing it as an “extraordinary leap achieved through consistency, landmark achievements, and a sharp national focus on science and technology.”

In his address, Dr. Singh underscored the role of private sector participation and start-ups in driving the innovation agenda. He noted that the INNOTECH symposium saw over 20 venture capitalists engaged alongside industry leaders and researchers, stressing that India’s next technological leap will be fuelled by robust public-private partnerships.

Alongside, he called for a change in mindset moving away from reliance on traditional government employment to embracing entrepreneurship, skilling and applied sciences.

He pointed to flagship schemes such as PM‑SVANidhi, Pradhan Mantri Vishwakarma and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana which, he said, “ensure accessible funding, mentorship, and skill development pathways even for those without advanced degrees.”