While improvements in India’s patent filing processes have contributed to rising application volumes, some systemic challenges also persist, particularly in examination capacity, information technology (IT) industry body Nasscom said on Tuesday, adding that a shortage of patent examiners at the Indian Patent Office continues to constrain grant timelines and overall efficiency,.

Therefore, there is a need for urgent capacity augmentation to sustain momentum, Nasscom said in its latest report -- Patent Pulse 2026. The report highlighted that the global patent ecosystem is undergoing a structural shift, with countries increasingly leveraging intellectual property as a strategic lever to drive economic competitiveness and technological leadership.

Against this backdrop, India continues to strengthen its position as a key contributor to global innovation, with sustained growth in patent filings driven by expanding research activity, a vibrant start-up ecosystem, and enabling policy support.

It noted that India’s patent filings have crossed the 1,40,000 mark in financial year 2025-26 (FY26), marking the ninth consecutive year of growth and setting new highs in annual expansion. Filing activity grew by 30.2 per cent in FY26, following a robust 19.8 per cent increase in FY25.

This surge has been led primarily by domestic applicants, with resident filings growing sharply by 46.2 per cent in FY26 and 32.2 per cent in FY25, while foreign applications saw relatively modest increases. As a result, the share of resident filings has risen to nearly 70 per cent, led by strong participation from start-ups, MSMEs, educational institutions, and individual innovators.

The increasing prominence of computer technology is also evident, with its share in total filings rising to 19.1 per cent in FY26 from 16.3 per cent in FY25, it said.

However, there is a growing divergence between filing momentum and grant outcomes. Patent grants declined significantly to 21,400 in FY26 from 33,500 in FY25, a sharp drop from the peak levels observed in FY24. Notably, computer technology has also gained traction in grants, with its share increasing to 19.7 per cent in FY26.

“Educational institutions have emerged as the largest contributors to patent filings, accounting for nearly 40 per cent of applications, yet their share in grants remains disproportionately low at around 10 per cent,” the report noted.

In contrast, multinational corporations continue to dominate patent grants, accounting for more than half of all grants despite filing less than one-third of applications. This points to a critical gap in translating academic research into commercially viable, high-quality patents, it added.

“The next phase of India’s innovation journey must be defined not just by the volume of filings, but by the quality, commercialisation, and global relevance of our intellectual property. Bridging the gap between research and real-world application, strengthening examination capacity, and building robust pathways for technology transfer will be critical as India positions itself as a leading innovation economy,” Sangeeta Gupta, Senior Vice-President and Chief Strategy Officer, Nasscom, said.

Published on April 28, 2026