Applications and grants: India has a gap to fill in patent progress

The share of actual patent grants received by residents is the lowest among major countries

India has achieved impressive and sustained growth in resident patent applications, consolidating its global position, but a stark gap remains between the high number of applications filed and the low proportion of actual grants received by residents.

 

As many as 76,470 patent applications were filed by Indians — in the country and abroad — in 2024, up almost 20 per cent from the previous year, according to the ‘World Intellectual Property Indicators 2025’ report of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

 

Almost 83 per cent of applications by Indians last year were filed with the Indian patent office and the rest abroad. But of the 1,05,157 applications received by the Indian office, almost 40 per cent were filed by “non-residents”, said the report. The United States of America (USA) and Japan were the top countries of origin for foreign applicants.

 

Data from WIPO shows that the increase in patent applications filed domestically is now primarily driven by Indian residents. The share of foreign filings in India has steadily dropped, falling from 50 per cent in 2022 to 40 per cent last year.

 

The number of patent applications filed by Indians grew by double digits for the sixth consecutive year in 2024. While the feat is impressive, the base effect is a factor. In the 21st century, the Chinese registered a similar high double-digit growth in applications from 2001 till 2016 to make the country the global leader in the number of patent applications and grants.

 

The USA, Germany, Japan and South Korea — economic powerhouses like China — have registered low single-digit and even negative growth rates in patent applications filed in recent years. 

 

The relationship between the number of patent applications filed and the number of patent grants given indicates a country’s innovation health. The number of patent grants given in India declined 14.61 per cent in 2024 from the previous year. That could be due to delays in approval and regulatory bottlenecks. Of all grants given by the Indian patent office last year, only 30.4 per cent were to Indian residents. It is the smallest share of such grants among countries with a large number of patent applications and grants.

 

Although the 2024 grants may be for applications filed in earlier years, the low share of grants received by Indian residents is stark when compared to the number of applications filed. In contrast, almost 90 per cent of grants issued by the Chinese patent office belonged to Chinese residents, followed closely by South Korea and Japan. 

 

While India’s resident applications per $100 billion gross domestic product has nearly doubled from 223 in 2020 to 443.8 in 2024, it is well behind major countries with high patent applications and grants. 

 

India’s journey in innovation and creativity has just started. That momentum must be sustained if it wants to aim for the top spot.