IIT Madras files 417 patents in FY25, tops its target of 'One a Day'

Premier college says it has made technology transfer deals worth Rs 28 cr in five years

Students, researchers and teachers at Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) filed 417 patents in FY25, surpassing the target of ‘One Patent a Day’ set last year.

 

The institute filed for 298 Indian and 119 international patents. It also filed 39 designs, six copyrights, and one trademark, bringing total intellectual property (IP) filings to 463 in FY25. IIT Madras said that in five years it has transferred its technologies to companies of various sizes through licensing deals worth Rs 28 crore. The biggest of these was the transfer of the 5G RAN sub-system technology to Tejas Network (TATA Group). 

 

IIT Madras’s announcement comes ahead of ‘World Intellectual Property Day’ on April 26. IP rights enable organisations and people to protect their innovative and creative outputs and get an economic return from them, according to the World IP Organization.

 

IIT Madras has filed patents in fields that include energy and battery innovation, microfluidic technologies, health care and assistive applications, robotics and artificial intelligence. In FY24, it filed patents in electronics and communication, energy and environment, mechanical and automotive, health care and medical devices, robotics and automation, and materials and manufacturing.

 

V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, said: “For India to be a technology superpower as we march towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047, protecting our intellectual properties is crucial. I am very proud that the IIT Madras team has filed 417 patents in FY25, with a significant raise in the number of international patents.”

 

“IIT Madras has been leading in IP filing in the country among academic institutions as it understands the significance of protecting the innovations that will fuel the industries of tomorrow. The transfer of technology to the industry has also been scaled up in recent times, leading to the direct impact of IIT Madras research in practice,” said Manu Santhanam, Dean (ICSR), IIT Madras.

 

Prabhu Rajagopal, advisor (IPM Cell) and head of School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras, said: “As India’s leading research-led academic institution, IIT Madras prides itself in pushing the envelope of innovation by students, researchers and faculty.”

 

In five years, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at IIT Madras has doubled the licensing revenue and tripled the number of IPs licensed. On average, TTO generates Rs 2.5 crore through deals annually. In FY25, it licensed more than 30 IP/patents with various companies.