Wellspring of Ingenuity

World Intellectual Property Day, celebrated on April 26 every year, calls for reflection on how far a country has progressed in cherishing and protecting the ideas that define its future. Originally commemorated in 2000 by the World Intellectual Property Organisation on the occasion of the enforcement of the WIPO Convention in 1970, it is now an international reminder that creativity, innovation, and invention are the building blocks of progress. India’s journey over the last half decade has been nothing short of transformative in this arena. During this period, the nation has transformed from an emerging voice in the IP conversation to one of the world’s most vibrant ecosystems for intellectual property.

Patent applications in India have risen exponentially, with recent years registering double-digit growth consistently. Alone in 2023, India saw the most rapid growth in patent applications among the global leading economies, with resident inventors for the first time contributing to over half of the total filings. The size and speed of grants also reached new heights, witnessing a sharp increase in both productivity and innovation quality. More than 1,00,000 patents were issued in the previous fiscal year—an average of almost 250 grants per working day—demonstrating that innovation is not only happening but being recognised and protected at speed.

This speed is not limited to one sector or geography. Startups, MSMEs, universities, and large corporations alike have become engaged actors in the IP ecosystem. Patent applications by startups alone have increased over threefold in the past six years, thanks to the ease of filing processes and financial rewards. From Bengaluru’s biotech companies to Pune’s deep-tech startups and Gujarat’s solar tech labs, innovation has found deep roots in regions and industries. Education establishments also have adopted IP as a central strategy; thousands of filings are now coming out of Indian campuses every year, reflecting a change in generation in terms of awareness and ambition.

Sectorally, the transition has been broad and strategic. In Pharma, India has moved away from its traditional position as a world provider of generics to now heavily investing in drug discovery, biotechnology, and medical device patents. The pharmaceutical sector, worth nearly USD 58 billion, can grow to USD 120–130 billion in 2030 and USD 400–450 billion in 2047. The post-pandemic times particularly witnessed the scientific community of India react through indigenous vaccines and diagnostics, reviving international trust in Indian ingenuity. The application of geographical indications (GIs) as a means to safeguard regional goods has grown manifold in agriculture, benefiting not only products but a whole community of farmers and craftspeople. Up to 2023, India had registered 530 GIs, with Uttar Pradesh having the most at 74 and Tamil Nadu coming second at 59. In technology, India is also a serious contender in digital innovation, with patent applications in artificial intelligence (AI) going up by 25 per cent between 2022 and 2023, and AI-related patent applications rising more than six times over the last five years. The pace at which India is closing the gap on next-generation technology filings is reflective not just of an ability to innovate, but of the boldness to challenge the world.

This sudden surge in filings and grants has been facilitated through focused reforms as well as the strengthening of institutions. Intellectual property has been front and centre for the Indian government’s innovation priorities. IP offices have been modernised to entirely digitised processes, with 95 per cent of records being digitised by 2023, along with lower turnaround times, and much greater efficiency in patent examination and trademark processing. Recruitment of skilled examiners and the inclusion of AI tools in administrative processes has made operations faster and more transparent, thus building more trust in the system.

Financing support to innovators has also received unparalleled attention. Startups, MSMEs, and solo inventors are now favoured by significant fee rebates and free consulting services. Academic and research institutions have been incentivised through reimbursement of patent fees and commercialisation promotion. IP literacy, which was an esoteric topic, is now being addressed at scale through national awareness missions. Over 9,000 awareness programmes have been organised by the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM), and these have reached about 2.34 million people, including 2.14 million students and 225,000 teachers in all 28 states and 8 Union Territories.

On the enforcement side, vigorous legal and administrative actions have been undertaken to strengthen compliance and check infringement. The recent changes in important legislation have added tougher sanctions and criminalisation of piracy, counterfeiting, and use of copyrighted works without consent. Special IP cells and commercial courts are now more capable of dealing with complex cases, and collaboration with industry organisations has ensured that IP enforcement goes beyond litigation to include prevention, surveillance, and education. These trends have established credibility and sent a message to investors and international partners that India is committed to protecting innovation.

India’s relative performance is also instructive. As the patent ecosystem in most advanced economies is developing more slowly, India’s exponential growth in filings and grants is making it an emerging leader. In digital innovation, especially, India’s sheer number of patents in emerging technologies is creating benchmarks not only regionally but internationally. The nation has risen quickly in global innovation rankings and keeps on rising because of its enhanced research output, commercialisation frameworks, and policy environment.

But underneath the statistics is the true narrative—of a country that’s coming to appreciate intellectual property as more than a legal concept, not just as an economic and cultural power. Of a society where a student from Lucknow, an entrepreneur in Coimbatore, or a biotechnology scientist in Hyderabad all appreciate how to safeguard what they have conceived. Of a nation where defending an idea is no longer looked at as an elite right, but as something fundamental.

As India is poised to become a global innovation hub, it is essential to understand that innovation is the lifeblood of its development strategy. Safeguarding the innovators who are behind the ideas is as crucial as encouraging innovation itself. In an era where brilliant ideas can be copied and stolen in a matter of seconds, making sure that creators are safeguarded is not just a legal requirement but a moral and economic imperative. When a protection does not exist for an innovation, lost is not only revenue—lost is trust, opportunity, and potential built for a future on that basis.

India’s intellectual property narrative is still unfolding. The last half decade has proven what can happen when a nation invests in its thinkers, builders, and creators. The future will establish how this traction is maintained, augmented, and channelled into enduring world leadership. The mission remains unabashed—to retain, safeguard, and advance the whole canvas of intellectual property to the extent it builds a secure, self-dependent, and well-regarded world Bharat.

The writer is Chairman, IPR Council, FICCI. Views expressed are personal