India’s intellectual property (IP) ecosystem has witnessed unprecedented growth over the last five years. Patent filings are rising sharply. Indian Universities are filing in bulk, and India is celebrated as a fast-growing innovation hub.
But behind these impressive numbers lies a question:
Are Indian institutions creating real innovation or simply inflating patent counts for rankings and visibility?
India’s IP Filing Boom
According to data from the Indian Patent Office, total Patent filings in India increased from 58,503 in 2020–21 to 110,375 in 2024–25 (nearly doubled).
Table: Trends in the Last Five Years with respect to Filing of IP Applications
| IP Application | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patent | 58,503 | 66,440 | 82,811 | 92,168 | 110,375 |
| Design | 14,241 | 22,699 | 22,698 | 30,389 | 43,005 |
| Trade Mark | 431,213 | 447,805 | 466,580 | 476,089 | 552,190 |
| GI | 58 | 116 | 211 | 134 | 275 |
| Copyrights | 24,451 | 30,988 | 29,466 | 36,726 | 44,095 |
| SICLDR | 52 | 8 | 2 | 6 | — |
| Total | 528,471 | 568,049 | 601,789 | 635,508 | 749,946 |
Patent Applications: Filing vs Reality
Patent filings in India have exhibited an upward trend over the past five years. However, only a few are getting granted. See the numbers below.
Table: Trends in Patent Applications
| Particulars | 2020–21 | 2021–22 | 2022–23 | 2023–24 | 2024–25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Filed | 58,503 | 66,440 | 82,811 | 92,168 | 110,375 |
| Examined | 73,165 | 66,571 | 49,961 | 18,438 | 15,726 |
| Granted | 28,385 | 30,073 | 34,134 | 103,057 | 33,504 |
| Disposal | 52,755 | 35,990* | 60,046 | 126,003 | 40,606 |
Universities Under the Scanner
Indian universities have become the largest filers of patents globally. However, grant success rates reveal a striking imbalance.
Top Indian Institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (collectively) and the Indian Institute of Science show a 42.8% and 46.5% grant rate, respectively.
However, the Big Private Universities are just playing with numbers. Many filed 2,000–7,000 patents and Grant rates below 5%. Some institutions recorded near-zero success.
Galgotias University filed 2,000+ patents and received just 2 grants.
As a result:
- Institutions chase numbers for rankings
- Patents become marketing tools
- Quality assessment takes a back seat
Table: Patent Performance of Indian Institutions (2020–2025), Data compiled by Angela Hong
| # | Institution | Published | Granted | Grant Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indian Institute of Technology (Collectively) | 6,558 | 2,806 | 42.80% |
| 2 | Indian Institute of Science | 723 | 336 | 46.50% |
| 3 | Lovely Professional University | 7,096 | 164 | 2.30% |
| 4 | Chandigarh University | 5,318 | 45 | 0.80% |
| 5 | Saveetha Institute of Medical & Technical Sciences | 4,705 | 21 | 0.40% |
| 6 | Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) | 2,879 | 63 | 2.20% |
| 7 | Graphic Era University | 2,876 | 117 | 4.10% |
| 8 | Chandigarh Group of Colleges | 2,852 | 17 | 0.60% |
| 9 | Jain (Deemed-to-be University) | 2,840 | 17 | 0.60% |
| 10 | Teerthanker Mahaveer University | 2,647 | 65 | 2.50% |
| 11 | Galgotias University | 2,233 | 2 | 0.10% |
| 12 | Shobhit Institute of Engineering & Technology | 961 | 0 | 0% |
| 13 | Presidency University | 922 | 15 | 1.60% |
| 14 | Sathyabama Institute of Science & Technology | 878 | 18 | 2.10% |
| 15 | Shoolini University | 654 | 32 | 4.90% |
Source: Indian Patent Office