Patent applications filed in India rose 30.2 per cent to 1,43,729 in 2025-26 from 1,10,375 in the previous fiscal, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday, attributing the increase to steps taken to strengthen the IPR ecosystem.India is currently the sixth largest patenting country in the world.“Our patent applications rose to a historic high of 1.43 lakh+ in FY 2025-26, representing a 30.2 per cent increase over last year. With over 69 per cent of patents filed locally, led by innovators from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, we are showing the world that Made in India is powered by Invented in India,” Goyal said in a social media post.
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Patent applications have been on a steady rise since 2016-2017, when they reached 45,444.
The number rose 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 taken several measures to strengthen the patent ecosystem, especially for startups, MSMEs and educational institutions.This includes reduced fees for startups, small entities and educational institutions, speedy screening of applications, and free facilities for Indian startups in filing and processing patent, trademark and design applications.
Patent applications are granted only after substantive examination to ensure compliance with requirements such as novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability under the Patent Act 1970.The examination follows a two-tier system, where applications are first examined and then reviewed by the observer.The law also provides for pre-grant opposition by any person and post-grant opposition by any interested party, ensuring that only genuine and quality patents are granted.