Global Innovation Index 2026: India Ranks 38th, Switzerland Retains Top Position

The Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026 has been released by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and shows India to be ranked 38th out of the most innovative economies in the world. India is highest ranked in the Lower Middle-Income Economy group and in Central and Southern Asia. Switzerland remained in the top spot for the 16th year running with Sweden and the United States taking second and third place. The index looks at a country’s innovation capabilities by measuring it against seven different pillars including institutions, human capital, infrastructure, business sophistication, market sophistication, knowledge and Technology Outputs and creative outputs.

What is the Global Innovation Index (GII)?

It is an annual benchmark that measures how well economies innovate. It evaluates the use and development of innovation capabilities in countries and helps identify areas of strength and improvement.

The index also shows the world’s top innovation clusters – regions with the highest concentration of inventors, scientific authors, and venture capital.

• First published: 2007
• 2026: 19th Edition
• Publisher: World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• Number of Economies: 139
• Indicators: 79
• Innovation Clusters: Top 100
• Theme 2026: Powering Entrepreneurs at the Frontier of Science

The GII was first proposed in World Business magazine in 2007. WIPO became a knowledge partner in 2011, co-publisher in 2012 and sole publisher in 2021.

Purpose of the Global Innovation Index

The purpose of the GII is to,

• Measure a country’s innovation performance.
• Compare innovation capabilities across different economies.
• Highlight areas of improvement within the national innovation system.
• Support policy development that improves research, technology and entrepreneurship.
• Track the development of science and technology clusters in countries.

Global Innovation Index 2026 Criteria

The GII 2026 has 79 indicators that are divided into seven pillars. There are 21 sub-pillars. The pillars are split into two sub-indices.

the Input pillar looks at the conditions that support innovation. The Output pillar looks at the outcomes of innovation. Both have equal weighting.

Top 10 Economies in GII 2026

Switzerland took the top spot again for the sixteenth year running. Fourteen of the world’s top 25 most innovative economies are in Europe. Five economies from Asia are also in the top 25.

China is the only middle income economy in the top 30. It is the highest ranked middle income economy.

Top 10 Economies by Income Group

The report splits the countries into four income groups. The table below shows the top 10 from each group and their global ranking.

India in GII 2026

India came 38th out of 139 economies. This puts it in the same position as 2025. It ranks first in the group of 36 Lower Middle-Income Economies. India also ranks first in the group of 11 Central and Southern Asian Economies.

India has improved significantly over the last few years. It moved up from 48th in 2020 to 38th in 2026.

India’s Areas of Strength

India ranks highly in digital services, entrepreneurship and knowledge outputs. Some of the highest ranked indicators include:

India excels in ICT Services Exports and Ventur Capital. However, it needs to improve its research capabilities and increase business investment in R&D. Improving the link between universities and business will also help.

India – Global Innovation Overachiever

India and Viet Nam are the world’s longest standing overachievers. Both countries have exceeded expectations for the last 16 years (2011-2026).

There are 21 overachievers in the GII 2026. India is one of them, with excellent performance due to the digital services, start-ups, venture capital and knowledge outputs.

India’s Science and Technology Clusters

There are four Indian innovation clusters in the world’s top 100. These clusters are measured based on the concentration of inventors, scientific publications and venture capital.

Bengaluru is the highest ranked cluster in India. Mumbai and Chennai both improved compared to previous editions.