Academic & Corporate R&D Drives 70% of Ayush Patents

Ayush-related innovation and intellectual property activity in India recorded substantial growth between FY15 and FY26, with 4,077 patent applications filed and 711 patents granted, according to the Status Report on Ayush Related Inventions in India (2014–2026). Published by the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks (CGPDTM) under DPIIT and released during the 11th Ayurveda Day celebrations, the report highlights an 836.5% surge in annual filings—climbing from 63 in FY15 to 590 in FY26, after peaking at 606 in FY23. Over the same period, annual patent grants expanded from just three in FY16 to a high of 204 in FY24, reflecting an elevated focus on research rigor and formal intellectual property protection across traditional medicine systems. The post-COVID-19 era served as a primary catalyst for innovation, accounting for 2,854 applications (70% of total filings) and 657 grants (92.4% of total approvals) between FY21 and FY26. Individual inventors ("natural persons") led patenting activity with 2,113 filings (51.9%) and 398 grants, followed by academic institutions with 995 applications and corporate entities with 700 filings and 176 grants, alongside active contributions from startups and small enterprises. MoS (IC) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav emphasized that this momentum underscores the nation's resolve to safeguard traditional knowledge, while Ayush Secretary Rajesh Kotecha noted that expanding partnerships across academia, startups, and industry will accelerate the commercial translation of therapeutic research into global healthcare solutions.