StatsGuru: Tracking what hinders research in India

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At the Indian Science Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for a revival of research in India.

As Table 1 shows, patent applications in India have increased significantly in recent years, and are now equal to about half of those in Russia, a scientific powerhouse. However, when compared to the US and China's patent applications, shown in Table 2, the numbers are minuscule. China, in particular, has seen a steep rise in the number of applications of late, an indication of its role as the centre of world manufacturing. However, only a fraction of those patents are granted - but even here, as Table 3 shows, China has overtaken the US. For patent grants in India, however, shown in Table 4, the story is worrying: Not only is it a tiny fraction of those applied for but the number of those granted has actually decreased - a sign both of institutional incapacity and poor research.

As Table 5 demonstrates, organic chemistry and pharmaceuticals account for most Indian patents, although computer technology has begun to catch up. The major problem is that Indian companies do not spend much on research and development. As Table 6 shows, the top 500 listed companies spend a small and stagnant fraction of revenue on R&D when compared to their US equivalents. The gap is most noticeable in pharmaceuticals, an R&D-heavy activity globally - but not in India, as Table 7 reveals. In IT services, Table 8, it looks like the proportion of R&D spend, already small, is actually decreasing. And, even automobile companies, a vibrant and competitive sector, spend less than a fourth, proportionally, of what their American counterparts do on R&D, according to Table 9.