Patent application filings in India rose sharply by 30.2 per cent to reach 1,43,729 in 2025-26, compared to 1,10,375 in the previous financial year, according to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. The increase has been attributed to multiple government initiatives aimed at strengthening the country’s intellectual property rights ecosystem. India now ranks as the world’s sixth-largest patent filer.
Sharing the update on social media, Goyal noted that patent filings have crossed the 1.43 lakh mark for the first time, reflecting strong growth momentum. He added that more than 69 per cent of these filings were made domestically, with significant contributions from innovators based in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. He emphasised that the trend highlights how ‘Made in India’ is increasingly being driven by ‘Invented in India’.
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Patent filings in the country have shown consistent growth over the years. Starting from 45,444 applications in 2016–17, the numbers rose steadily to 47,894 in 2017–18, 50,660 in 2018–19, 56,268 in 2019–20, 58,503 in 2020–21, 66,440 in 2021–22, 82,208 in 2022–23, and 92,163 in 2023–24.
The government has introduced several measures to boost the patent ecosystem, especially targeting start-ups, MSMEs, and academic institutions. These initiatives include reduced filing fees for start-ups, small entities and educational institutions, faster processing through expedited examination, and pro bono support for Indian start-ups in filing and managing patent, trademark and design applications.
Patent applications in India are granted only after a thorough examination process to ensure they meet criteria such as novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability under the Patents Act, 1970.
The examination system follows a two-stage process, where applications are first reviewed and then reassessed by the controller. Additionally, the law allows for pre-grant opposition by any individual and post-grant opposition by interested parties, ensuring that only legitimate and high-quality patents are approved.
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