Ayush patent filings surge 836% in a decade: 4,077 applications, 711 grants
Synopsis
India's Ayush sector has quietly built one of its most credible scientific credentials yet: patent filings rose 836% over a decade, hitting 4,077 applications and 711 grants between FY15 and FY26. With individuals and universities driving over three-quarters of all filings, this is less a government-led push and more a grassroots IP revolution in traditional medicine.
Key Takeaways
4,077 Ayush patent applications were filed and 711 patents granted in India between FY15 and FY26 .
Annual filings surged from 63 in FY15 to 590 in FY26 , a growth of approximately 836.5% .
Filings peaked at 606 in FY 2022–23 , dipped to 299 in FY 2023–24 , then recovered to 590 in FY26 .
Annual patent grants rose from 3 in FY16 to 204 in FY24 .
Natural persons and educational institutions together accounted for 76.3% of all filings — 2,113 and 995 applications respectively.
Startups and small entities contributed 125 and 144 filings respectively, indicating nascent but growing commercial interest.
Ayush-related patent filings in India have surged more than eightfold over the past decade, with 4,077 patent applications filed and 711 patents granted between FY15 and FY26, according to an official statement released on 16 October 2026 by the Ministry of Ayush. Annual filings climbed from just 63 applications in FY15 to 590 in FY26, a growth of approximately 836.5%, as per data from the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Decade-Long Trajectory of Growth
The growth has not been entirely linear. Filings peaked at 606 in FY 2022–23 before declining sharply to 299 in FY 2023–24, only to recover to 590 by FY26. Annual patent grants followed a similarly steep upward curve, rising from just three in FY16 to 204 in FY24, indicating that the examination and grant pipeline is progressively clearing a decade's worth of accumulated applications.
Who Is Filing: Individuals and Academia Lead the Way
Natural persons — individual inventors — accounted for 2,113 applications, or 51.9% of total filings, and 398 grants. Educational institutions contributed 995 applications and 88 grants. Together, these two categories represented 76.3% of all filings, reflecting a grassroots innovation base rather than one driven primarily by large corporations.
Corporate and other entities accounted for 700 applications and 176 grants, while small entities and startups contributed 144 and 125 filings respectively — a signal of emerging commercial interest in Ayush-sector intellectual property.
What the Government Said
Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State for Ayush and Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, attributed the data to a sharper institutional focus on research and commercialisation. 'The substantial growth in Ayush-related patent filings and grants reflects the increasing focus on research, innovation and intellectual property in the Ayush sector,' he said.
Jadhav added that the government remains 'committed to creating an enabling ecosystem where traditional knowledge, scientific research and contemporary innovation can contribute to new products, technologies and solutions while ensuring that India's rich knowledge systems are appropriately protected.'
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of Ayush, noted that the trend pointed to a maturing research base. 'The steady expansion of patent activity demonstrates the growing research and innovation base of the Ayush sector. The increasing participation of individuals, universities, research institutions, startups and industry is encouraging and will help strengthen the translation of research into innovative solutions,' Kotecha said. He added that the ministry would continue to support evidence generation, research collaboration and innovation across the Ayush ecosystem.
Why This Matters
India's Ayush sector — encompassing Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy — has long faced criticism for insufficient scientific documentation and IP protection of its traditional knowledge systems. A surge in patent activity signals a structural shift: practitioners and researchers are moving from practice-led knowledge to documented, legally protected innovation. This comes amid broader government efforts to internationalise Indian traditional medicine, including the establishment of Ayush export zones and the global rollout of WHO Traditional Medicine norms that India has actively shaped.
Notably, the dip in FY 2023–24 filings warrants attention; whether it reflects a backlog-clearing cycle, a tightening of examination standards, or a temporary slowdown in applied research will bear watching as FY27 data becomes available.
What Comes Next
The Ministry of Ayush has indicated continued investment in evidence generation and research collaboration. Industry observers and academia will be watching whether the strong FY26 recovery in filings translates into proportionally higher grant rates in coming years, and whether startup participation — currently a fraction of total filings — accelerates as the IP ecosystem matures.
Point of View
But the composition of filings is what deserves scrutiny. Over half the applications came from individual inventors — a sign of genuine grassroots innovation, but also a fragmented IP landscape that may struggle to convert patents into commercial products or standardised treatments. The sharp dip in FY 2023–24 has been quietly glossed over in official communications; understanding whether it reflects stricter examination, applicant fatigue, or a funding gap matters more than the recovery number alone. More critically, patent filings are a leading indicator of intent, not of clinical validation — the gap between an Ayush patent and a globally accepted, evidence-backed product remains wide, and no amount of IP data closes it without rigorous trial infrastructure.
NationPress
16 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Ayush patents have been filed and granted in India over the past decade?
Between FY15 and FY26, a total of 4,077 Ayush-related patent applications were filed in India and 711 patents were granted, according to data from the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks under DPIIT.
By how much have Ayush patent filings grown since FY15?
Annual Ayush patent filings grew from 63 applications in FY15 to 590 in FY26, a rise of approximately 836.5% over the decade. Filings peaked at 606 in FY 2022–23 before dipping and recovering.
Who is driving Ayush patent filings in India?
Individual inventors (natural persons) account for 51.9% of all filings with 2,113 applications, while educational institutions contributed 995 applications. Together they represent 76.3% of total Ayush patent activity, indicating innovation driven more by academia and individuals than by large corporations.
Why did Ayush patent filings dip in FY 2023–24?
Filings fell from a peak of 606 in FY 2022–23 to 299 in FY 2023–24, according to official data. The ministry has not publicly attributed a specific cause; analysts suggest it could reflect examination backlog cycles, tighter review standards, or a temporary funding slowdown in applied research.
What is the government's plan to support Ayush innovation going forward?
The Ministry of Ayush has stated it will continue to support evidence generation, research collaboration, and innovation across the Ayush ecosystem. Minister Prataprao Jadhav has emphasised building an enabling environment for traditional knowledge systems to be protected and commercialised through contemporary scientific frameworks.
