India Ranked 38th In Securing Patents Abroad

India ranks 38th among 46 countries in securing patents abroad, despite having the largest number of qualified engineers in the world and the seventh largest research and development (R&D) personnel base, a PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) study said yesterday.

Despite having over 200 universities and 1,500 research institutions, patents filed by India in the United States are about 0.02 per cent of those filed by countries like Israel, South Korea and Taiwan, the study said.

It further pointed out that more than 70 per cent of the patents published in India were by foreigners.

The low priority given to R&D was highlighted yesterday at a meeting here on Technology for Competitiveness: State of Indian R&D, organised by the chamber. Speakers at the meet called for greater intellectual property rights consciousness and integration of R&D resources into business strategies.

 

India spends only 0.9 per cent of its gross domestic product on R&D, of which industrys contribution is 25 per cent, M R Bhojwani, head (R&D), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, said adding that technological strength alone could ensure competitive advantage.

With technology becoming a tradeable commodity directing the flow of investment, the gap in technology can be bridged through imports and indigenous development of scientific knowhow, Sengupta, head, Foundation for Innovation for Technology Transfer said.