Global Innovation Index 2026: India Innovation Performance Among Emerging Economies

Key Highlights & Summary

 • Global Ranking: India ranks third among emerging market economies in the Global Innovation Index 2026, scoring 40.1 out of 100, trailing China (57) and Malaysia (41.8).

• Indicator Performance: India performed well in 13 out of 24 innovation indicators, demonstrating strong standing across key operational domains.  • Core Strengths: India shows high ratings in Intellectual Property, Startup and Finance Ecosystem, as well as Production and Exports.  

• Key Vulnerabilities: The country performed poorly in two critical indicators: science and tech articles and the number of researchers. 

 • Index Methodology: The Global Innovation Index score is calculated as the simple average of Innovation Input and Output sub-indices, carrying equal weight and normalized on a 0–100 scale.

  • Regional Peer Comparison: India leads several other emerging economies, including Vietnam (37.7), Thailand (37.6), Türkiye (37.5), Brazil (33.5), and Russia (31.8). 

 Essential Definitions 

 • Global Innovation Index (GII): An annual ranking published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) measuring the innovation capacity and performance of global economies. 

 • Innovation Input Sub-Index: Captures elements of the national economy that enable innovative activities, such as institutions, human capital, infrastructure, and market sophistication.  

• Innovation Output Sub-Index: Reflects the actual results of innovative activities within the economy, categorized under knowledge and technology outputs and creative outputs.

  • Gross Expenditure on R&D (GERD): The total expenditure (financial and human resources) devoted to research and development within a country during a given period. 

Legal and Constitutional Framework 

• Article 51A(h) (Constitution of India): Enshrines the Fundamental Duty of every citizen to develop the scientific temper, humanism, and the spirit of inquiry and reform. • Seventh Schedule (Union List - Entry 63 & 64): Empowers the Central Government to legislate on institutions of national importance, scientific or technical education, and research institutions.

 • National Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Policy, 2016: Provides an overarching institutional framework to foster innovation, streamline patent administration, and protect IP assets in India. 

• Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Act, 2023: Establishes apex body governance to seed, grow, and promote R&D and foster a culture of research across India\'s universities and colleges. 

Conclusion India strong showing in startup financing, intellectual property, and production outputs underlines its emerging status as a global innovation powerhouse. However, addressing structural gaps in basic scientific research, increasing public expenditure on R&D, and expanding the researcher pool are essential steps for India to bridge the gap with top-performing emerging markets like China. 

UPSC Relevance

 • GS Paper II: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors; Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Education and Human Resources.

 • GS Paper III: Indian Economy and issues relating to planning, mobilization of resources, growth, and development; Science and Technology—developments and their applications; Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) issues.