India has retained 40th rank out of 132 economies in the Global Innovation Index 2023 rankings published by the World Intellectual Property Organization, NITI Aayog said in a release on Thursday. India has been on a rising trajectory, over the past several years in the Global Innovation Index (GII), from a rank of 81 in 2015 to 40 in 2023. The 16th edition of the Index was released by the World Intellectual Property Organization, an agency of the United Nations.
“Innovation has been at the forefront of our battle against the unprecedented crisis created by the pandemic and will be pivotal in driving the country’s resilience, as enshrined in the Prime Minister’s clarion call on Atma Nirbhar Bharat,” the release said.
NITI Aayog said that the consistent improvement in the GII ranking is owing to the immense knowledge capital, the vibrant start-up ecosystem, and the amazing work done by the public and private research organizations.
“All Departments of the Government, including Scientific Departments such as the Department of Science and Technology; the Department of Biotechnology; the Department of Space; and the Department of Atomic Energy and also departments such as Ministry of Electronics and IT, Department of Telecommunications, Department of Agricultural Research & Education and the Department of Health Research have played a pivotal role in enriching the National Innovation Ecosystem. Most importantly, the Atal Innovation Mission has played a major role in expanding the Innovation ecosystem,” it said.
NITI Aayog has been working towards ensuring the optimization of the national efforts for bringing policy-led innovation in different areas such as electric vehicles, biotechnology, nanotechnology, space, alternative energy sources, etc. It has also played a role in expanding the innovation ecosystem in states and districts.
It further stated that the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has also been collaborating in India’s journey towards an innovation-driven economy. This year, the NITI Aayog, in partnership with the CII and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), is hosting, virtually, the India Launch of the GII 2023 on 29th September 2023. The launch session, it added, will be attended by many dignitaries including Suman Bery, Vice-Chairman, NITI Aayog; Dr VK Saraswat, Member, NITI Aayog; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog; Daren Tang, Director General, WIPO; Dr. Sacha Wunsch-Vincent, Co-Editor, GII & Head, Economics and Statistics Division, WIPO; Dr Nausad Forbes, Chairman, CII National Committee on Technology, Innovation & Research, and Co-Chairperson, Forbes Marshall; Professor Rishikesha Krishnan, Director, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore; and Alok Nanda, Co-Chairman, CII National Committee on Technology, Innovation & Research, and CEO, GE India Technology Centre.