India’s GII 2025 rank of 38 reflects strong tech outputs and market dynamism but weaknesses in infrastructure, institutions, and business sophistication. Targeted reforms in R&D, digital infrastructure, inclusivity, and global collaboration could place India into the top 20 by 2030.
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Picture Courtesy: INDIAN EXPRESS
The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index 2025.
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World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Origin: Specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1967. India joined in 1975. Function: Promotes the global protection of intellectual property (IP) and coordinates the development of balanced international IP laws. Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland Publications: Global Innovation Index (GII), World Intellectual Property Report (WIPR) |
It is an annual report published by the WIPO, the 2025 edition ranked 139 economies based on over 80 indicators that measure both innovation inputs (e.g., institutions, human capital, infrastructure, and research & development) and outputs (e.g., knowledge and technology outputs, creative outputs).
It identifies global trends such as AI advancements and quantum computing, and highlights challenges like decelerating R&D growth (which slowed to 2.9% in 2024 and is projected at 2.3% in 2025, the lowest since the 2010 financial crisis).
(Source: Indian Express)
Switzerland retains its lead for the 14th consecutive year, while China enters the top 10 for the first time, driven by patent filings and R&D spending.
India ranks 38th globally in the GII 2025, maintaining its upward trajectory from 39th in 2024. India's steady climb reflects resilient innovation amid economic recovery.
Strengths:
Knowledge & Technology Outputs (Rank 22): India excels in patent applications, scientific publications, and ICT (information and communications technology) exports, strengthened by a vibrant tech sector and global R&D hubs in Bengaluru and Hyderabad.
Market Sophistication (Rank 38): Strong venture capital inflows, credit access for innovation, and investment in startups (India ranks high in unicorn creation).
Weaknesses
Business Sophistication (Rank 64): Limited firm-level innovation investments and weak knowledge absorption in SMEs hinder deeper enterprise R&D.
Infrastructure (Rank 61): Gaps in logistics, ICT access in rural areas, and ecological sustainability metrics pull down scores.
Institutions (Rank 58): Challenges in regulatory efficiency, ease of doing business, and intellectual property protection remain bottlenecks.
Enhance Infrastructure and Institutions: Invest in high-speed broadband expansion (e.g., via BharatNet) and streamline IP laws to improve ease of doing business.
Boost Business Sophistication: Promote public-private partnerships for R&D tax incentives and innovation clusters, drawing from models like Israel's Yozma fund to increase firm-level tech adoption.
Prioritize Human Capital and R&D: Expand STEM education and skilling programs (e.g., under NEP 2020) while raising R&D spending from 0.7% to 2% of GDP, focusing on AI, biotech, and green tech.
Encourage Inclusive Innovation: Bridge urban-rural divides through digital literacy drives and women-led
entrepreneurship schemes to enhance creative outputs.
Global Collaboration: Strengthen ties with WIPO and QUAD partners for knowledge transfer, while monitoring global trends like AI ethics to sustain momentum.
These targeted reforms, combined with sustained policy focus, could drive India into the top 20 by GII 2030, solidifying its role as a Global South innovation leader.
Source: INDIAN EXPRESS
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PRACTICE QUESTION Q. With reference to the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? A) 1 and 2 only B) 2 and 3 only C) 1 and 3 only D) 1, 2, and 3 Answer: A Explanation: Statement 1 is Correct: Switzerland has maintained its first-place ranking in the Global Innovation Index for the 15th consecutive year. Statement 2 is Correct: India has risen to 38th place among 139 economies in the GII 2025, which is an improvement from its previous ranking (39th in 2024). Statement 3 is InCorrect: China has entered the top 10 for the first time in GII 2025, ranking 10th. |
It is an annual ranking that measures the innovation performance of countries and economies around the world. It uses a comprehensive set of around 80 indicators to assess both the inputs that enable innovation and the outputs.
The GII is published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
India advanced to the 38th position among 139 economies in the GII 2025.
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