Datanomics: India's AI patent record lags far behind global leaders

China and the United States accounted for the largest share of AI patents granted worldwide from 2017 and 2024, while India's share is negligible

The controversy at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 over Galgotias University showcasing a Chinese robotic dog as its own has sharpened scrutiny over AI patents granted to India, which are significantly fewer than other countries. From 2017 to 2024, as many as 496,766 patents were granted globally, of which and India accounted for 2,113.   

India’s share in global AI patents declining   

The number of AI patents granted in India declined to 397 in 2024, after hitting a high of 455 in 2023. From 2017 to 2024, India’s share of global AI patents fell to 0.33 per cent from 0.44 per cent, highlighting a relative decline in its contribution compared to worldwide trends. 

 

China leads in share of AI patents 

China leads with 64.7 per cent of AI patents granted globally, while the United States (US) is a distant second with an 18.3 per cent share. India's share is negligible — the country has only a 0.4 per cent share in the patent grants.  

 

China’s upward march in IP; peers see slide  

From 2017 to 2025, the world’s top five economies saw declines in their IP rights scores, except China. Its score rose from 5.61 to 6.45, while the US saw a drop from 8.72 to 8.01. India’s score stayed nearly flat. India’s ranking in the Intellectual Property Rights Index is also nothing to write home about.  

 

India’s IP performance