Global Innovation Index 2025

The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, ranking 139 economies based on their innovation capabilities and outputs.

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).

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.

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.

Consistent Climb: India rose to 38^th rank in 2025 from 48^thin 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 (21^st), Delhi (26^th), Mumbai (46^th), and Chennai (84^th), India has an increasingly decentralised innovation footprint.
Sustained Outperformance: For the 15^th 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.

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 49^th 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.

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.