A homegrown innovation ecosystem is taking root, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• India is transitioning from importing technologies to inventing them domestically, driven by public research, corporate R&D, and deep-tech entrepreneurship.
• Patent filings in India increased by 30.2% from 1,10,000 in 2024-25 to over 1,43,000 in 2025-26, with domestic applicants accounting for nearly 70% of filings.
• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) achieved a breakthrough in Gallium Nitride (GaN) monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs), making India one of seven countries to master this technology.
• Indian startups like Pixxel Space and Skyroot Aerospace are making strides in space technology, while ImmunoACT developed NexCAR19, India’s first indigenous CAR-T cell therapy.
• India's R&D spending remains under 1% of GDP, significantly lower than China (2.4%) and the U.S. (3.5%).

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Detailed Insights:

• The innovation ecosystem is characterized by three advancing institutional foundations: public research, corporate R&D, and deep-tech entrepreneurship.
• Despite growth in filings, the number of patents in force in India (2,40,000 in 2025) is significantly lower than in China (5.7 million), the U.S. (3.5 million), and Japan (2.1 million) as of 2024.
• This disparity suggests challenges such as low patent grant rates, high abandonment rates, and limited commercialization of patents.
• Private R&D spending surpassed government spending for the first time in 2024 and is projected to reach 55% by 2025-26.
• The DRDO is actively transferring GaN technology for use in 5G/6G wireless infrastructure, electric vehicles, and renewable energy systems.
• The Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) aims to contribute 10% of global 6G patents by 2030, with members filing over 7,700 patents across 5G and 6G technologies.
• Jio Platforms Limited entered the top 20 international patent filers in the World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) 2025 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) rankings.
• Government initiatives and private capital, including over $2.5 billion from the India Deep Tech Alliance (IDTA), are boosting deep-tech startups.
• Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) supports early-stage innovations, exemplified by Remidio Innovative Solutions in combating preventable blindness.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Gallium Nitride (GaN): A semiconductor material critical for high-power, high-frequency applications in advanced radar, space systems, and next-generation communications.
• Monolithic Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMICs): Integrated circuits that operate at microwave frequencies, essential for military, defense, and advanced communication systems.
• CAR-T cell therapy: A type of immunotherapy that uses a patient's own genetically modified T cells to fight cancer.
• Hyperspectral Imaging: A technology that collects and processes information from across the electromagnetic spectrum, used for detailed analysis in various fields including space.