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India’s Research System Moves Ahead Globally With More Patents, More PhDs, More Publications and More Innovations
India’s research ecosystem is moving up on the global front with growth in innovation, research publications, filing of patents, as well as a rise in the output of PhDs in Science and Engineering. The Ministry of Education shared these statistics in the Rajya Sabha as part of the statement by Minister of State for Education, Dr. Sukanta Majumdar.
These statistics indicate that the research ecosystem is moving beyond conventional academic activities. Indian institutions and researchers are contributing more to patents, research publications, and innovations.
India’s Innovation Ranking Globally Improves Remarkably
According to the latest inputs from the Ministry, India’s rank has improved in the GII from 81 in 2015 to 38 in 2025. The GII is published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, and India has a confirmed rank of 38 among 139 countries in 2025. Among the 37 lower-middle-income countries and in the region of Central and Southern Asia, India is ranked number 1.
This remarkable improvement has come in the GII, which assesses innovations with a wide leeway in the evaluation of various parameters that include education and infrastructure, among other elements of the knowledge framework and innovation and technology outputs. According to the 2025 assessment of WIPO, India has improved its performance in innovation outputs compared to inputs.
India is Third in the World for Recent Science and Engineering Publications
India is continuing to climb in importance around the world for producing scientific research. According to Indian Ministry records, India was in third place for global Science and Engineering publications in 2022, up from 7th place in 2010. Previously, government records based on the US National Science Foundation database have shown increases in India's scientific publications.
This rise in publications during the last decade shows the increased level of research being done in universities and scientific institutions across India. For students wanting to develop a research career, this rise correlates to the development of research and a greater degree of collaboration.
Patent Submissions Are on the Rise
India is also publishing an increasing number of patents, and patents are beginning to show India's ability to innovate. From WIPO research, Indian government sources show India in an increasing number of global patent application rankings. The Indian government reported to WIPO that India was 6th in the world for total patent applications, with 64,480 patent applications in 2023.
More recent Indian government data show that for the years 2023 and 2024, India had 92,168 patent applications, against 42,763 for the years 2014 and 2015, with Indian universities significantly increasing their share and submitting a total of 23,306 patent applications for 2023 and 2024. Patents are the first step to creating a potential product based on a recent development in research.
India ranks third in the world for Science and Engineering PhDs awarded.
India, along with the United States and China, ranks third in the world for the number of Science and Engineering PhDs awarded, according to the Department of Science and Technology, Research and Development Statistics at a Glance 2022 to 23. Other government data has shown that India is in third place in this category.
An increased number of researchers can strengthen all sectors, including the university and industry research and the rapidly evolving technology sectors.
Indian Higher Education is Becoming More Research-Oriented
The most recent data will help the government's most recent initiatives to strengthen research and innovation in post-graduate education in India.
The government has developed the Anusandhan National Research Foundation or ANRF, which aims to strengthen research in all universities and colleges in India and promote applied research in emerging technologies and in areas of national importance. The framework aims to mobilize ₹50,000 crore from 2023 to 2028 from both the government and private sectors. Research and innovation have also emerged as important areas of focus in India’s National Education Policy 2020.
What the New Statistics Indicate for Students and Researchers
For students, especially those interested in a career in science, engineering and research, this indicates that the national research system is increasing in size and complexity. More research activities will entail more concurrent opportunities, including doctoral programs, research initiatives, innovation initiatives, patenting activities, industry collaborations, and research in emerging technologies. While an improved international ranking in research is a concern, it should not be the sole focus, as ranking research by volume or classifying research activities by patenting and innovation also rank different paradigms of a research system. India's continuing research challenge is to increase the quantity of research to match international rankings.
Final Thoughts
India moved up from the 81st rank in the Global Innovation Index in 2015 to the 38th rank in 2025. Alongside India's strong rankings in scientific publications, patents, and Science and Engineering PhDs, the development of research systems in India has gained considerable global standing. The challenge now is not to generate research in larger volumes, but to develop globally competitive, useful knowledge and technologies and solutions. For Indian Universities, research, and students, this is the next defining challenge.
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