AI, IoT among top technology patents filed by Indian deeptech startups

Indian deeptech startups have filed over 900 patents since 2008, a new finding by Nasscom showed. Further, through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), over 32,000 additional patents have been filed in India by other countries. To be sure, PCT is an international treaty that allows applicants to file a single patent application to protect their research in many countries. 

The top focus areas for these startups have been artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), and automation/software development. AI, in particular, saw maximum patents filed in areas of image processing, NLP, and Predictive modelling, while Gen AI, Medical Data Processing and Cognitive computing.

Overall, in FY23, the number of patents filed in India grew by almost 25% to about 83,000, the highest in the last two decades. “The surge in patent filings within the last few years is a clear indication of India’s growing innovation prowess, particularly in areas like artificial intelligence. To further enhance domestic patent activity, collaborations among key stakeholders are essential for fostering and increasing awareness of intellectual property rights,” said Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom.

In separate but related news, as per the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks, Unnat Pandit, India granted over a lakh patents in 2023-24. The Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks generally known as the Indian Patent Office comes under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Pandit was speaking on the sidelines of the Assocham event on Thursday, where he also assured that the department is prioritising timely clearance of applications. He added that 40% of the applications were disposed of within 30 months of the request for examination.