Filing of patent applications has increased by 30.2 per cent to 1,43,729 in 2025-26 against 1,10,375 in the previous fiscal, on account of several initiatives taken by the government to strengthen the intellectual property rights ecosystem, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.

India is the world's 6th largest patent filer.

"Our patent filings soared to a historic 1.43 lakh+ in FY 2025-26, marking a 30.2 per cent increase over last year. With over 69 per cent of patents filed domestically, 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.

The filings have been continuously increasing since 2016-17, when they were 45,444. It was 47,894 in 2027-28, 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 undertaken several measures to strengthen the patent ecosystem in the country, particularly aimed at startups, MSMEs and educational institutions.

These steps include the reduction of fees for startups, small entities, and educational institutions; providing expedited examination of patent applications; and pro bono facilitation to Indian startups for the filing and processing of patent, trademark, and design applications.

The patent applications are granted only after substantive examination to determine compliance with the requirements of novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability under the Patents Act, 1970.

The examination process follows a two-tier system, wherein applications are examined and subsequently reviewed by the controller.

The Act also provides for pre-grant opposition by any person and post-grant opposition by any interested person, thereby ensuring that only genuine and quality patents are granted.

Published on April 12, 2026