– Building a robust pipeline of Indian-owned patents and trademarks will be pivotal to securing India’s place in the global knowledge economy: Chairman TPCI
New Delhi: Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) hosted a National Summit on Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) called India IP Advantage Summit 2026- Build it. Own it. Lead it.’ The Summit was held in New Delhi on 6th August 2026 at Imperial Hotel. Justice Ms Prathiba M. Singh, Judge, High Court of Delhi, was the Chief Guest. Besides, Prof Unnat Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks, Government of India, was the Guest of Honour. Shri Anand Kumar, Managing Director, STMicroelectronics, and Shri Vinamra Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, also addressed the gathering. Dr R. A. Mashelkar is the Chief Mentor of the Summit.
Ms Justice Prathiba M. Singh,Judge, High Court of Delhi, in her keynote address, underlined, “India should no longer remain a backroom office, but a proud label of branded manufacturing.” IP has seen a paradigm shift in terms of policy and judicial remedy; today we see 15-20 cases being filed related to IPR, every month in Delhi, and there are different divisions to address issues related to IPR in different courts of Delhi. For Indians to own it, we need to create more and more IP products and address the blockages, she added.
TPCI, in association with RNA, released the official report of the India IP Advantage Summit. The theme of the report is: From India to the World IP Strategy, Market Access and Risk Management for Exporters.
The report underlined that India is rapidly becoming one of the world’s important exporting economies, supported by national ambitions to reach approximately USD 2 trillion in combined goods and services exports by 2030. As Indian companies expand into overseas markets across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Southeast Asia, and Latin America, intellectual property (IP) is no longer only a legal concern; it is increasingly a business asset that influences market access, valuation, partnerships, and long-term competitiveness.
This knowledge brief provides business leaders with a practical framework for assessing export-related IP risks, understanding international protection mechanisms, strengthening contractual safeguards, and building a comprehensive IP strategy that supports long-term success in global markets. The objective is simple: to help Indian companies convert innovation, brands, and technology into durable competitive advantages as they expand across the world.
Speaking on the Summit, Shri Mohit Singla, Chairman, TPCI said, “India’s IPR ecosystem stands at a critical inflexion point. While patent filings and IP registrations have grown steadily, challenges persist in commercialisation, enforcement, and global recognition. Building a robust pipeline of Indian-owned patents and trademarks across AI, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, consumer brands, and creative industries will be pivotal to securing India’s place in the global knowledge economy.” The India IP Advantage Summit has been conceived to bridge the present divide between IP creation and IP-led competitiveness, he added.
Patent applications filed with the Indian Patent Office increased from 58,503 in FY 2020–21 to 1,43,729 in FY 2025–26—an increase of nearly 146% over five years. Filings in FY 2025–26 rose by approximately 30.2% over the 1,10,375 applications filed in the previous year. As per the latest reported data, Indian applicants accounted for 68,201 of the patent applications in 2024-25, representing approximately 62% of the total. The patent filings in the Electronics and Information Technology domain during FY 2025–26 alone registered a growth of 52%.
Dr R. A. Mashelkar, who is the Chief Mentor of this Summit, is of the view that India must move from being a manufacturing and services powerhouse to becoming a true knowledge and IP-led economy. His central message is powerful: patents, brands, designs, algorithms, data and trade secrets are no longer legal instruments alone. They are strategic assets that determine who captures value in the global economy.
Prof Unnat Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDT), speaking at the event, said a series of steps have been taken to streamline processes for filing IP applications.
During a session, Dr GR Raghavendra, Senior Consultant – IPR, DPIIT, said that “AI-assisted work with originality and human interference is a copyright, while the AI-generated work is not.”
Shri Vinamra Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Micro Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India, in his address emphasised, “MSMEs are the growth drivers of the country and any end product has to be driven through MSMEs. We have to look at the downstream part of it for commercialisation and branding.” Technology transfer through IPR is making solutions to real-life problems, he added.
The Summit focused on how India can convert its rising IP momentum into commercial advantage, export competitiveness and global leadership. The audience comprises senior industry leaders, CXOs, exporters, startups and MSMEs, innovators, technology and R&D professionals, IP practitioners, policymakers, government officials, investors, academia, research institutions, incubators and representatives of leading industry associations.
