How innovative are we? Revealing the truth about India

Startups have emerged as the torch bearers for innovation, and true to our perception, many of them have changed things in a positive way. However, this is not to say that big players are no longer important or have stopped innovating. So, are there any indicators that can tell us the state of innovation in our country? I believe, patents filed in a country are a direct measure of the state of innovation. Let’s take a look at how India has fared in this aspect over the last few years.

The number of patent applications witnessed a gradual increase last year. There were over 43k patent applications filed in 2012-13. Number of patent grants, on the other hand, substantially declined. The Indian Patent Office is apparently battling with problems of staff shortage and implementation of better examination guidelines.

In an interview, E M Sudarsana Natchiappan, Minister of State (Commerce and Industry) says, “There has been a great improvement in the filing of patents. But indigenous filing of patent applications is only 22 per cent currently and needs to be increased by encouraging research and development in India. Our target is to double the number of patents filed by Indian applicants in the next few years.”

Nevertheless, data from the Indian Patent Office provides some interesting insights into the state of Indian patents. Take a look!

About the author

Rubal Walia handles marketing for Relecura. He is passionate about technology and Intellectual Property.