India Ranks Fifth in GenAI Innovations, China Leads

India ranks fifth in Generative AI (GenAI) innovations, trailing behind China, the US, Republic of Korea, and Japan. Despite India’s position, the country has shown the highest annual growth rate in GenAI patent publications, with significant potential for economic impact.

Global Rankings and Patent Data

• China: Tops with 38,210 patents.
• United States: Second with 6,276 patents.
• Republic of Korea: Third with 4,155 patents.
• Japan: Fourth with 3,409 patents.
• India: Fifth with 1,350 patents from 2014 to 2023.

Innovation and Growth in India

India has overtaken the UK (sixth with 714 patents) and Germany (708). Notable Indian patents include a retail AI assistant solution by RN Chidakashi Technologies (Miko Robotics) and Tata Consultancy Services’ GenAI tool for contract lifecycle management. India has the highest annual growth rate in GenAI patent publications at 56%, although it holds only a 3% share of total GenAI patents.

Global Trends in GenAI Patents

The introduction of transformer models in 2017 and popular apps like ChatGPT in 2022 have increased GenAI patent activities. GenAI patent publications rose from 4.2% of all AI patents in 2017 to 6.1% in 2023. Over 25% of all GenAI patents and 45% of scientific papers were published in 2023 alone. OpenAI has not filed any patents until 2023, reflecting its non-profit origins.

Patent Regime and Regulatory Insights

India’s GenAI patenting has increased since 2021. A well-defined eligibility framework is essential for AI-related inventions. WIPO data shows the relative maturity of China’s patent regime, with over 40,000 patents filed within the country. In contrast, India filed 98% of its 1,350 patents domestically.

Economic Impact and Government Initiatives

An EY report in May indicated that GenAI could increase India’s GDP by $359-438 billion by 2030, with a cumulative impact of $1.2-1.5 trillion over the next seven years. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) launched the Global IndiaAI Summit on July 3, 2024, featuring key dignitaries and emphasizing a global approach to address AI risks.