‘IP Catalyst’ to Transform India’s Electronics and IT Patents into Global Products

The initiative was unveiled during a national conference titled “From Patent to Product: Accelerating IP Commercialization in Electronics & IT”, organised by MeitY at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on 12 May 2026.

In a major push to accelerate India's transition from innovation to commercial technology leadership, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has launched the ambitious "IP Catalyst" initiative and digital platform aimed at transforming patents into globally competitive products, technologies and businesses.

The initiative was unveiled during a national conference titled "From Patent to Product: Accelerating IP Commercialization in Electronics & IT", organised by MeitY at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on 12 May 2026.

The conference brought together policymakers, technology leaders, startups, MSMEs, researchers, academia and industry stakeholders to chart a roadmap for strengthening India's intellectual property ecosystem and accelerating the commercialization of indigenous technologies in the Electronics and IT sector.

The launch signals a strategic shift in India's innovation policy — moving beyond merely increasing patent filings toward building a robust ecosystem capable of converting intellectual property into scalable products, globally competitive technologies and economic growth.

India Records Historic Surge in Patent Filings

Launching the initiative, MeitY Secretary Shri S. Krishnan said India is entering a defining phase in its innovation journey under the vision of Viksit Bharat.

He revealed that India crossed a historic milestone in FY 2024–25 with 1,10,375 patent applications filed, with the Electronics and IT sector accounting for nearly 44% of all filings.

According to Krishnan, the momentum accelerated even further in FY 2025–26.

"In FY 2025–26, patent filings further increased to 1,43,729, with the Electronics and IT domain recording a remarkable 52% rise in patent filings. This clearly reflects the growing strength of India's technology and innovation ecosystem," Krishnan said.

Industry experts say the sharp rise in patent activity reflects India's rapidly expanding capabilities in sectors such as:

• Semiconductors

• Artificial Intelligence

• Electronics manufacturing

• Cybersecurity

• Embedded systems

• Digital communications

• Emerging deep technologies

However, analysts also note that India has historically struggled to translate research and patents into globally commercialised products — a gap the new initiative aims to address.

IP Catalyst Designed to Bridge Innovation and Industry

The IP Catalyst initiative, implemented by CDAC Pune with support from MeitY, is designed to create a comprehensive digital ecosystem that supports the full innovation lifecycle — from research and patent creation to commercialization, licensing and market deployment.

Officials say the initiative will serve as a national bridge connecting:

• Publicly funded R&D institutions

• Startups

• MSMEs

• Academia

• Industry partners

• Technology innovators

• Investors

The programme seeks to address one of the biggest weaknesses in India's innovation ecosystem: the disconnect between research laboratories and commercial markets.

"It aims to bridge the gap between publicly funded R&D and industry adoption by enabling stronger collaboration among MeitY organizations, startups, MSMEs, academia, and industry," the Ministry stated.

Digital Platform to Become National Gateway for Technology Commercialization

At the heart of the initiative is the newly launched digital platform — cipie.in — which will function as a unified online gateway for IP and commercialization support services.

The platform is expected to serve as a national repository of technologies developed through MeitY-supported research initiatives.

Officials say startups, MSMEs and industries will be able to use the platform to:

• Discover indigenous technologies

• Access deployable innovations

• Identify collaboration opportunities

• Explore licensing arrangements

• Connect with research institutions

• Access IP advisory services

The initiative is expected to strengthen India's efforts toward technology self-reliance while reducing dependence on imported technologies in critical sectors.

Wide Range of Support Services for Innovators and Startups

The IP Catalyst initiative will provide extensive support across the technology commercialization chain.

Key Features Include:

• Financial support for IP filing for MeitY organizations and grantee institutions

• International patent filing support for startups and MSMEs

• Prior-art search and IP advisory services

• Technology readiness and maturity assessment

• IP valuation and commercialization support

• Technology transfer and licensing facilitation

• Industry–academia–startup collaboration opportunities

• Access to indigenous technologies and solutions

• Prototype-to-product development support

• Market deployment assistance

Innovation experts say these interventions are critical because many startups and research institutions often lack the financial and legal resources needed to commercialize intellectual property effectively.

India Targets Global Leadership in Strategic Technologies

Speaking during the launch, Shri Amitesh Kumar Sinha, Additional Secretary at MeitY and CEO of the India Semiconductor Mission, highlighted the growing strategic importance of intellectual property in emerging technology sectors.

He said India's future competitiveness will depend heavily on strengthening domestic capabilities in areas such as:

• Semiconductors

• Artificial Intelligence

• Electronics manufacturing

• Strategic technologies

• Advanced digital systems

Sinha said IP Catalyst will enable startups and industries to access indigenous technologies and collaborate more effectively with research institutions.

"IP Catalyst will enable startups, MSMEs, and industry to access indigenous technologies, collaborate with research institutions, and accelerate innovation-led growth," he said.

Shift from "Patent Filing" to "Patent to Profit"

A major theme emerging from the conference was the need for India to evolve from focusing primarily on patent numbers toward extracting real economic value from intellectual property.

Prof. (Dr.) Unnat P. Pandit, Registrar of Copyrights and CGPDTM under DPIIT, stressed that India must now focus on converting patents into globally competitive products and commercial wealth.

"He stressed the need to shift from a 'Patent Filing' mindset to a 'Patent → Product → Profit' approach, making patents the foundation for globally competitive products and wealth creation," the Ministry said.

Industry observers say this shift is essential if India wants to emerge as a true global innovation powerhouse rather than merely a large technology services market.

Conference Focuses on "Lab-to-Market" Acceleration

The one-day national conference featured extensive panel discussions on accelerating the commercialization of research and strengthening India's innovation ecosystem.

Key themes included:

• Lab-to-market acceleration

• Startup and MSME enablement

• Technology transfer mechanisms

• Global patenting strategies

• Measuring the economic value of IP

• Commercialization frameworks

• Innovation financing

• Indigenous technology adoption

Experts participating in the discussions emphasised that faster commercialization cycles are critical for India to compete in rapidly evolving global technology markets.

Supporting the Vision of Viksit Bharat

The IP Catalyst initiative forms part of the Government of India's broader vision of building a technologically self-reliant and innovation-driven economy under Viksit Bharat.

Officials believe the initiative could significantly strengthen India's ability to:

• Build globally competitive technology products

• Increase high-value manufacturing

• Enhance technology exports

• Support deep-tech startups

• Strengthen strategic technological independence

• Create intellectual property-driven economic growth

As India's Electronics and IT sector continues to expand rapidly, the government hopes the new initiative will accelerate the journey from research laboratories to global markets, transforming India into not just a creator of ideas, but also a leading producer of commercial technology solutions.