New Delhi, April 15 (IANS) India’s patent ecosystem is showing signs of structural strengthening, reflecting sustained growth in domestic innovation and wider intellectual property awareness, according to a report.

As per the Indian Narrative report, startups, MSMEs, and educational institutions receive an 80 per cent reduction in patent filing fees, while expedited examination is available for startups, MSMEs, female applicants, and government institutions, categories that have historically been underrepresented in formal IP filings.

In addition, the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission has conducted approximately 9,500 awareness programmes across all states and Union Territories, reaching over 25 lakh students and faculty members, the report said.

Recently, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal showed that of the total filings, 99,721 or around 70 per cent were from Indian residents, while foreign filings stood at 44,008.

Moreover, the figures mark the highest-ever annual patent filing count for the country and extend a multi-year growth trend that the government attributes to policy reforms, reduced fees, and wider intellectual property awareness.

Highlighting the data, Goyal framed the milestone as evidence of a structural shift in India’s innovation identity from a manufacturing and services destination to an originator of commercially usable ideas.

Domestic patent filings by Indian citizens have risen from 24,326 in FY20–21 to 68,176 in FY24–25 — a jump of roughly 180 per cent over five years — before the further acceleration seen in FY26.

The government has simplified patent rules, shortened the request-for-examination window from 48 months to 31 months, and made electronic filing mandatory for patent agents.

Fee concessions have played a significant role in widening participation.

State-wise, Tamil Nadu led all states in patent filings in FY 2025–26, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra, with meaningful contributions from Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, and Telangana.

–IANS

ag/vd