Summary
This post provides a comprehensive statistical overview of patent applications filed and granted in India across multiple fields from 2008 to 2014. It observes a consistent increase in overall patent filings, particularly in chemical, electrical, and mechanical fields, while fields such as bio-technology and food experienced declines. Detailed annual data is presented on both applications and grants, including breakdowns by specific and emerging fields of invention. The analysis also highlights the proportion of patents held by Indian applicants versus total grants and patents in force. These findings offer an objective basis for understanding trends in Indian intellectual property over the past decade.
Overview
This post presents statistical information about the number of patent applications filed and granted under various fields of invention in India over the period 2008 to 2014.
On the whole, a consistent rise has been seen with respect to the number of patent applications filed. The number of applications filed under the Chemical, Electrical and Mechanical fields show a considerable upsurge, while the number of applications filed in fields such as Bio-technology and Food declined over the same period.
Patents Granted: Year-by-Year Summary
During 2008-2009, a total of 16,061 patents were granted, of which 2,541 were granted to Indian applicants. The number of patents in force as on 31st March, 2009 was 30,822, of which 6,158 patents belonged to Indians. A drop in the number of patents granted was seen the following year: out of a total of 6,168, 1,725 applications belonged to Indians. The total number of patents in force in the same year was 37,334, of which 6,781 patents belonged to Indians.
In 2010-2011, 7,509 patents were granted, of which 1,273 were granted to Indian applicants. In the subsequent year, the total number of patents granted decreased to 4,381, of which 699 were granted to Indian applicants. 39,989 patents were in force as on 31st March, 2012, of which 7,545 patents belonged to Indians.
In 2012-2013, out of 4,126 patents granted, 716 belonged to Indian applicants. The number of patents in force as on 31st March, 2013 was 43,920, of which 8,308 patents belonged to Indians. In 2013-2014, the total number of patents granted saw a slight increase: 4,227 patents were granted, of which 634 were granted to Indian applicants. Of 42,632 patents in force, 7,464 belonged to Indian applicants.
Number of Patent Applications Filed from 2008 to 2014 under Various Fields of Invention
| Fields | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 |
| Chemical | 5884 | 6014 | 6911 | 1168 | 6812 | 6769 |
| Drug | 3672 | 3070 | 3526 | 282 | 2954 | 2507 |
| Food | 340 | 276 | 315 | 21 | 452 | 387 |
| Electrical | 2319 | 2376 | 2719 | 228 | 3568 | 4371 |
| Mechanical | 6360 | 6775 | 7782 | 888 | 10198 | 11318 |
| Computer/Electronics | 7063 | 7646 | 9594 | 584 | 4424 | 4410 |
| Bio-technology | 1844 | 1303 | 1497 | 309 | 832 | 647 |
| General | 2946 | 885 | 1017 | 153 | 1561 | 652 |
| Others | 6384 | 5942 | 6039 | 748 | 12873 | 11890 |
Number of Patent Applications Filed from 2008 to 2014 under Other and New Fields of Inventions
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | |
| Bio-Medical | 68 | 70 | 22 | 176 | 183 | 163 |
| Bio-Chemistry | 119 | 27 | 10 | 50 | 75 | 72 |
| Bio-Informatics | 4 | – | 10 | 570 | 605 | 636 |
| Physics | 110 | 122 | 71 | 454 | 411 | 460 |
| Civil | 50 | 50 | 46 | 128 | 160 | 196 |
| Textile | 41 | 32 | 34 | 139 | 104 | 141 |
| Metallurgy/ Material Science | 62 | 34 | 08 | 71 | 85 | 152 |
| Agriculture Engineering | 29 | 40 | 20 | 77 | 103 | 112 |
| Polymer Science | 41 | 49 | 19 | 114 | 135 | 80 |
| Micro-Biology | – | – | – | 77 | 113 | 105 |
| Agrochemical | – | – | – | – | 113 | 90 |
| Traditional Knowledge/ Bio/ Chem/Mech | – | – | – | 98/58/02= 158 | 70/115/0= 185 | 22/364/1= 387 |
Number of Patent Applications Granted from 2008 to 2014 under Different Fields of Inventions
| Fields | 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 |
| Chemical | 2376 | 1420 | 1899 | 1168 | 1289 | 1111 |
| Drug | 1207 | 530 | 596 | 282 | 344 | 256 |
| Food | 97 | 72 | 84 | 21 | 37 | 51 |
| Electrical | 1140 | 404 | 394 | 228 | 188 | 237 |
| Mechanical | 3242 | 1024 | 1458 | 888 | 749 | 945 |
| Computer/Electronics | 1913 | 1195 | 892 | 584 | 510 | 690 |
| Bio-technology | 1157 | 449 | 165 | 309 | 144 | 220 |
| General | 1318 | 273 | 350 | 153 | 121 | 112 |
| Others | 3611 | 801 | 1668 | 748 | 744 | 904 |
Number of Patent Applications Granted from 2008 to 2014 under Other and New Fields of Inventions
| 2008-2009 | 2009-2010 | 2010-2011 | 2011-2012 | 2012-2013 | 2013-2014 | |
| Bio-Medical | 19 | 1 | 60 | – | – | – |
| Bio-Chemistry | 198 | 17 | 06 | 09 | 01 | 03 |
| Bio-Informatics | – | – | – | – | 21 | 55 |
| Physics | 65 | 18 | 21 | 13 | 7 | 12 |
| Civil | 22 | 06 | 12 | 06 | 03 | 05 |
| Textile | 26 | 14 | 09 | 09 | 05 | 04 |
| Metallurgy/ Material Science | 40 | 52 | 01 | 11 | 11 | 04 |
| Agriculture Engineering | 04 | 04 | 01 | 01 | 03 | – |
| Polymer Science | 41 | 11 | 22 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| Micro-Biology | – | – | – | – | 07 | 06 |
| Agrochemical | – | – | – | – | 05 | 02 |
| Others | – | 1 | 88 | 34 | – | – |
Disclaimer
This article is for general information and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult a qualified attorney before acting on any matter discussed here.