About Global Innovation Index (GII)
- The Global Innovation Index (GII) is a ranking of countries as per their success and capacity in innovation.
- Since 2007, the GII has been co-published annually by the World Intellectual Property Organisation, Cornell University, and INSEAD.
- The United Nations Economic and Social Council acknowledged the GII’s significance as a trusted benchmark for measuring innovation concerning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Measures calculated in the Global Innovation Index (GII)
- Innovation Input Sub-Index: This index comprises five input pillars that capture elements of the economy that enable and facilitate innovative activities.
- Innovation Output Sub-Index: This index represents the result of innovative economic activities. Despite having only two pillars, it carries the same weight as the Input Sub-Index in calculating the overall GII scores.
- Overall GII Score: The overall GII score is calculated as the average of the Input and Output Sub-Indices. The rankings of economies in the GII are then produced based on this overall score.
Global Innovation Index 2025: Key Findings
- R&D Growth: Global R&D growth declined to 2.9% in 2024, with a projection of 2.3% in 2025, marking the weakest research expansion since 2010.
- European Leadership: Fifteen European economies are in the top 25, with Switzerland ranked first and Sweden second, underscoring regional dominance.
- SEAO Hub: Southeast Asia, East Asia, and Oceania hold six countries in the top 25, challenging Western dominance in global innovation.
- Other Ranks: The United States ranks third globally, while China is tenth, overtaking Switzerland in knowledge outputs; Bhutan, at 101st, is India’s closest neighbour by rank.
India-Specific Findings
- Consistent Climb: India rose to 38th rank in 2025 from 48th in 2020, securing the top rank among lower-middle-income economies and in Central and Southern Asia.
- Science Clusters: With four science clusters in the top 100; Bengaluru (21st), Delhi (26th), Mumbai (46th), and Chennai (84th), India has an increasingly decentralised innovation footprint.
- Sustained Outperformance: For the 15th consecutive year, India, along with Vietnam, has surpassed its expected innovation capacity relative to its development level.
- Key Strength: India performed best in Knowledge & Technology Outputs (#22), driven by a strong ICT service exports and a vibrant startup ecosystem.
- Notable Weakness: Weaker rankings in Business Sophistication (#64) and Infrastructure (#61) reveal gaps in research-driven enterprises and logistical support.
Read in detail about the Findings of GII 2024.
India’s Science & Innovation Landscape
- Scientific Output: India ranks as the third-highest producer of research papers globally, but its H-index (publication impact) is relatively low at 925.
- Intellectual Property: In 2023, India ranked sixth with 64,480 patent applications, maintaining a five-year streak of double-digit growth.
- Digital Readiness: India rose to the 49th rank in the 2024 Network Readiness Index, while leading globally in AI research papers and ICT exports.
- R&D Investment: Gross expenditure on R&D increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore by 2021 but stayed at 0.64% of GDP, constraining innovation potential.
- Startup Ecosystem: India is the world’s third-largest startup hub, with 1.59 lakh DPIIT-recognised firms and a rapidly rising focus on deep technology.
Govt Initiatives to Foster Innovation
- Anusandhan National Research Foundation: Expands research capacity by funding basic and applied projects in universities, national laboratories, and R&D institutions.
- VigyanDhara Scheme: Upgrades academic research infrastructure and builds thematic clusters to develop science-based solutions for societal challenges.
- National Deep-Tech Startup Policy: Supports deep-tech ventures by improving early-stage funding, strengthening IP protection, and promoting academia–industry linkages.
- Research, Development & Innovation Scheme: Incentivises private R&D with public funding and concessional finance in AI, quantum, biotechnology, energy, and other strategic fields.
- Atal Innovation Mission: Nurtures an innovation culture through tinkering labs in schools, incubation centres in universities, and national mentoring networks.
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