India Rises to 39th Rank in Global Innovation Index 2024

India has climbed to the 39th position among 133 global economies in the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2024, as announced by Union Minister Piyush Goyal. India also ranked 1st among 10 economies in the Central and Southern Asian region and led the lower-middle-income economies group. The country was 81st in 2015 and rose to 39th due to its thriving innovation ecosystem, powered by entrepreneurs, startups, and public-private partnerships.

Key Achievements

India ranked 1st in Central & Southern Asia and among lower-middle-income economies, 4th in WIPO’s Science & Technology Cluster Rankings, with cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai in the global top 100 S&T clusters. India also ranked 7th globally in intangible asset intensity.

Global Performance Overview

“In Central and Southern Asia, India (39th) continues to lead, advancing by one spot. The Islamic Republic of Iran (64th, down by two places) follows, with Kazakhstan (78th) in third place. Uzbekistan (83rd) retains its 4th position within the region.”

India’s continued rise is part of a broader innovation trend, with China, Turkey, Vietnam, and the Philippines among the fastest climbers in the last decade. Switzerland, Sweden, the US, Singapore, and the UK remain the world’s top innovators.

Global rankings:

Sector-Specific Insights

India has seen significant progress in areas like sanitation and electromobility. Notably, electric car sales in India tripled in 2022, driven by companies like Tata Motors and government incentives. India’s strengths include ICT services exports, venture capital, and intangible assets, positioning the country as an innovation leader in the global landscape.