Summary
A data-driven analysis of Indian patent filing and grant trends from 2020–2025 based on the Indian IP Office dashboard.
Examines state-wise distribution, technical fields, applicant categories, and grant success rates.
As those engaged with intellectual property practice in India would know, patent filing trends serve as useful indicators of innovation activity across the country. The Indian Patent Office maintains a public dashboard that provides statistical data on patent applications, offering insights into the distribution of filings by state, technical subject, and applicant type. This article examines the trends observed over the six-year period from 2020 to 2025, based on data extracted from the Indian IP Office dashboard at ipindia.gov.in/dashboard (visited on 22 February 2026).
It is important to note that this is a purely factual analysis of publicly available data. The figures presented below reflect filing activity and do not account for factors such as grant rates, quality of applications, or commercial outcomes. However, the trends do provide a window into which states, technical fields, and applicant categories are demonstrating increased innovation activity.
Overall Growth in Patent Applications
The six-year period shows a general upward trajectory in patent filings across India. Whilst year-on-year growth rates have varied, the consistent increase suggests sustained interest in patent protection across multiple sectors and regions. The data shows an 18–19% sustained annual growth rate in patent filings from 2020-2025. Compared to patent filings in 2020, patent filings in 2025 grew by a massive 134%.
Patent Applications by State: Geographic Distribution
The state-wise distribution of patent applications reveals that innovation activity remains concentrated in certain regions, though the pattern has shown some evolution over the years. Tamil Nadu has consistently led in terms of application volume, followed by Karnataka and Maharashtra. However, the relative positions and growth rates differ across states.
Table 1: Top 10 States by Patent Applications (2020-2025)
| State | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Tamil Nadu | 3,724 | 4,530 | 7,541 | 8,857 | 13,263 | 20,012 |
| Karnataka | 2,736 | 3,054 | 4,345 | 5,397 | 7,253 | 10,573 |
| Maharashtra | 4,412 | 4,321 | 5,308 | 6,141 | 7,449 | 10,465 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1,591 | 2,752 | 3,902 | 6,465 | 6,089 | 7,608 |
| Punjab | 1,541 | 1,646 | 3,117 | 5,325 | 6,202 | 6,764 |
| Telangana | 1,587 | 1,681 | 2,309 | 2,641 | 3,872 | 6,772 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 648 | 856 | 1,297 | 2,000 | 3,238 | 4,445 |
| Gujarat | 942 | 977 | 1,197 | 2,463 | 2,522 | 3,611 |
| Delhi | 1,634 | 1,565 | 1,946 | 1,870 | 2,299 | 2,977 |
| Rajasthan | 429 | 442 | 872 | 1,766 | 1,798 | 2,500 |
Several observations emerge from the state-wise data. Tamil Nadu’s growth has been particularly pronounced, with applications increasing more than fivefold from 2020 to 2025. Karnataka and Maharashtra have maintained their positions in the top three, though Tamil Nadu’s acceleration has been notably sharper. Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have shown strong growth, with both states more than quadrupling their application volumes over the six-year period.
The data also reveals that innovation activity extends beyond the traditionally dominant states. States such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Gujarat have demonstrated substantial increases, suggesting a broadening of the innovation base across India. Delhi, despite being a major commercial centre, has shown more modest growth compared to southern and western states.
Patent Applications by Technical Subject: Shifting Priorities
The distribution of patent applications across technical subjects provides insight into the focus areas of innovation activity. The six-year period has witnessed a notable shift in the hierarchy of technical fields, with Computer-related applications emerging as the leading category in 2025.
Table 2: Patent Applications by Technical Subject (2020-2025)
| Subject | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Computer | 6,658 | 7,734 | 11,040 | 14,524 | 17,400 | 24,621 |
| Mechanical | 10,883 | 11,551 | 13,722 | 18,957 | 19,047 | 21,616 |
| Chemistry | 8,861 | 9,471 | 11,173 | 12,170 | 14,675 | 15,682 |
| Electronics | 5,187 | 6,335 | 7,393 | 7,744 | 9,697 | 13,841 |
| Communication | 6,440 | 6,853 | 9,529 | 10,059 | 10,486 | 13,570 |
| Biomedical | 4,489 | 4,328 | 5,849 | 5,548 | 8,695 | 12,935 |
| Electrical | 3,817 | 3,864 | 4,831 | 5,491 | 7,106 | 8,969 |
| Physics | 2,615 | 2,679 | 3,288 | 3,147 | 4,079 | 6,310 |
| Biotechnology | 2,991 | 3,380 | 3,790 | 4,581 | 4,176 | 4,472 |
| Polymer | 1,565 | 1,707 | 1,893 | 2,268 | 2,554 | 2,692 |
The subject-wise distribution of patent applications between 2020 and 2025 reveals a significant structural shift in India’s innovation landscape. While Mechanical engineering dominated filings in 2020 with 10,883 applications, Computer-related inventions experienced the most dramatic growth during the six-year period. Computer applications increased from 6,658 in 2020 to 24,621 in 2025, an approximate 270% rise, overtaking Mechanical applications for the first time in 2025. This shift indicates a clear pivot toward software-driven, algorithm-based, and digitally enabled technologies. Electronics, Biomedical, Electrical, and Communication fields have also recorded strong growth, reflecting expanding activity in areas such as artificial intelligence, health technologies, semiconductor systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and power systems.
In contrast, traditional sectors such as Mechanical and Chemistry, though continuing to grow in absolute terms, have expanded at comparatively moderate rates (approximately 99% and 77% respectively over the six-year period). Biotechnology and Polymer technologies have shown slower growth relative to digital fields. Overall, the data suggests that India’s innovation activity is increasingly concentrated in technology-intensive and digitally integrated domains, signalling a broader transformation of the country’s research and development priorities. While established industrial sectors remain important contributors, emerging digital and electronics-driven technologies are clearly shaping the direction of patent filings in the Indian patent system.
Patent Applications by Applicant Type: The Rise of Educational Institutions
The categorisation of applications by applicant type reveals perhaps the most dramatic shift observed in the dataset. Educational institutions have emerged as a major source of patent applications, showing exponential growth over the six-year period.
Table 3: Patent Applications by Applicant Type (2020-2025)
| Applicant Type | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Other than Natural Person | 42,606 | 43,301 | 43,475 | 45,772 | 47,687 | 51,989 |
| Educational Institute | 915 | 3,447 | 15,388 | 24,094 | 33,680 | 50,525 |
| Natural Person | 11,239 | 12,845 | 15,884 | 16,967 | 19,386 | 24,644 |
| Small Entity | 927 | 1,096 | 1,365 | 1,549 | 2,085 | 3,869 |
| Startup | 1,825 | 1,432 | 1,476 | 1,907 | 2,319 | 3,323 |
The applicant-type data between 2020 and 2025 reveals a profound structural shift in India’s patent filing ecosystem. While corporate entities (classified as “Other than Natural Person”) continued to account for the largest share of filings, their growth over the six-year period was relatively moderate, increasing from 42,606 applications in 2020 to 51,989 in 2025-approximately 22%.
Filings by Natural Persons more than doubled, rising from 11,239 to 24,644, reflecting continued individual innovation activity. Small Entities and Startups also demonstrated steady expansion, with filings increasing from 927 to 3,869 and from 1,825 to 3,323 respectively. These trends indicate gradual but consistent broadening of patent awareness across different economic actors.
The most striking development, however, is the extraordinary surge in filings by Educational Institutions. Applications in this category rose from 915 in 2020 to 50,525 in 2025 – an increase exceeding 5,400%.
By 2025, educational institutions nearly equalled corporate entities in total filings, signalling a major recalibration of the patent landscape. This sharp rise likely reflects government incentives, policy emphasis on academic research commercialisation, and performance-linked institutional targets for patent generation.
At the same time, such rapid expansion invites closer examination. Sustained growth of this magnitude raises important questions regarding examination capacity, grant ratios, long-term maintenance of granted patents, and the commercial viability of academic filings. While the data undeniably points to the increasing centrality of universities and research institutions in India’s patent system, the long-term impact of this shift will depend on how effectively these filings translate into granted, enforceable, and commercially relevant intellectual property.
Total Patent Filings (5-Year Aggregate)
| Applicant Category | % of Total Filings | Total Filings (Out of 4,69,504) |
|---|---|---|
| Large Entities | 49.46% | 2,32,229 |
| Educational Institutions | 27.08% | 1,27,148 |
| Natural Persons | 19.11% | 89,728 |
| MSMEs | 2.12% | 9,953 |
| Startups | 2.23% | 10,466 |
| Total | 100% | 4,69,504 |
The aggregate filing data demonstrates that large entities continue to dominate the Indian patent landscape in terms of volume, accounting for nearly half of all filings during the five-year period. Overall, the data indicates a broadening of the applicant base, even as corporate entities remain central to filing activity.
Total Patent Grants (5-Year Aggregate)
| Applicant Category | % of Total Grants | Total No. of Grants (Out of 3,39,618) |
|---|---|---|
| Large Entities | 84.75% | 2,87,917 |
| Natural Persons | 7.99% | 27,136 |
| Educational Institutions | 4.27% | 14,502 |
| MSMEs | 1.75% | 5,943 |
| Startups | 1.25% | 4,245 |
| Total | 100% | 3,39,618 |
The grant distribution reveals a markedly different picture from filing share. Large entities account for an overwhelming majority of total grants, underscoring the continued strength of established corporate portfolios in navigating the patent examination process. In contrast, educational institutions- despite a strong filing presence represent a relatively small proportion of grants during the same period.
Year-wise Split of Filings and Grants
| Year | Total Filings | Total Grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,34,350 | 19,872 |
| 2024 | 1,05,157 | 64,939 |
| 2023 | 90,289 | 76,042 |
| 2022 | 77,589 | 30,482 |
| 2021 | 62,119 | 30,708 |
| 5-Year Total | 4,69,504 | 3,39,618 |
The year-wise comparison illustrates steady growth in filings across the five-year period, culminating in a significant increase in 2025. Grant numbers, however, fluctuate more sharply year-to-year, reflecting the time lag inherent in patent examination and disposal processes.
Grant Success Rate by Applicant Type (2021–2025 Aggregate)
| Applicant Category | Filing Share | Grant Share | Total Filings | Total Grants | Grant Success Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Entities | 49.46% | 84.75% | 2,32,229 | 2,87,917 | 124%* |
| Educational Institutions | 27.08% | 4.27% | 1,27,148 | 14,502 | 11.4% |
| Natural Persons | 19.11% | 7.99% | 89,728 | 27,136 | 30.2% |
| MSMEs | 2.12% | 1.75% | 9,953 | 5,943 | 59.7% |
| Startups | 2.23% | 1.25% | 10,466 | 4,245 | 40.6% |
The estimated grant success rates reveal significant variation across applicant categories. Large entities exhibit substantially higher grant outcomes relative to other applicant types, whereas educational institutions show comparatively lower grant conversion within the same period. Natural persons, startups, and MSMEs occupy intermediate positions. These disparities may reflect differences in drafting quality, prosecution experience, resource allocation, claim strategy, and portfolio maturity. The data could also suggest that applicant capability and professional experience play a meaningful role in grant outcomes.
Implications and Observations
The data presented above offers several points of interest for those engaged with the patent system in India. The geographic expansion of filing activity beyond traditional hubs, the shift towards computer-related technologies, and the emergence of educational institutions as major applicants all represent significant developments in the landscape of patent filing activity.
However, it is important to maintain perspective when interpreting these statistics. Application numbers alone do not indicate the quality of inventions, the likelihood of grant, or the commercial potential of the technologies claimed. The data also does not account for factors such as the proportion of applications that proceed to grant, the maintenance of granted patents, or the extent to which patents are actually practised or licenced.
For practitioners, the state-wise distribution may inform decisions about local representation and understanding of regional innovation ecosystems. The subject-wise trends highlight the importance of technical expertise in rapidly growing fields such as computer technology and electronics. The applicant-type data underscores the increasing role of educational institutions in the patent system, which may have implications for licensing practices, technology transfer mechanisms, and collaborative research arrangements.
Concluding Note
The six-year period from 2020 to 2025 has witnessed substantial changes in the pattern of patent filing activity in India. Whilst application numbers represent only one metric among many for assessing innovation activity, the trends documented here provide a useful reference point for understanding the evolving dynamics of the Indian patent system.
As always, readers are advised to consult the original data source at the Indian IP Office dashboard for the most current information and to verify specific figures for their own purposes. The analysis presented here is based on data as it appeared on 22 February 2026 and is subject to revision as the Patent Office updates its records.
Note: All data in this article is sourced from the Indian IP Office Dashboard at ipindia.gov.in/dashboard, accessed on 22 February 2026. Readers should refer to the official dashboard for the most current statistics.