Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025
The Global Innovation Index (GII) is a prestigious annual benchmarking report that measures the innovation capacity and success of economies worldwide. Now in its 18th edition (2025), the index serves as a crucial reference tool for policymakers, business leaders, and researchers to evaluate the health and direction of a country’s innovation ecosystem.
Key Details of the Index
- Published By: The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), in collaboration with the Portulans Institute and other international partners.
- Coverage: The 2025 report evaluated 139 economies and the top 100 science and technology innovation clusters around the world.
- Conceptual Framework: The index calculates an economy’s score based on over 80 indicators divided into two main sub-indices:
- Innovation Inputs: The foundational elements that enable innovation (Institutions, Human Capital & Research, Infrastructure, Market Sophistication, and Business Sophistication).
- Innovation Outputs: The actual tangible results of those inputs (Knowledge & Technology Outputs, and Creative Outputs).
- Global Leaders 2025: Switzerland ranked 1st globally, followed by Sweden (2nd) and the United States (3rd).
India's Performance in GII 2025
India has shown remarkable and steady progress over the past decade, climbing from the 81st position in 2015 to become a major global innovation hub.
- Global Rank: India successfully secured the 38th rank globally.
- Regional & Income Group Leader: India ranks 1st among all economies in Central and Southern Asia, and holds the 1st position among all lower-middle-income economies worldwide.
- Consistent Over-performer: A standout achievement is that India has been classified as an “innovation over-performer” for the 15th consecutive year. This means India consistently generates much higher innovation outputs than mathematically expected for its level of economic development.
Major Strengths and Growth Drivers
India’s continuous rise in the index is driven by robust performance in several high-value sectors:
- ICT Leadership: India remains the absolute global leader in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) services exports.
- Startup & VC Ecosystem: India ranks among the top globally for unicorn valuations and late-stage Venture Capital (VC) deals.
- Knowledge Creation: There has been a significant surge in scientific publications (+7.6% growth) alongside strong, consistent growth in domestic and international patent filings.
- Creative Outputs: India improved its rank in the creative outputs pillar from 49th (in 2023) to 42nd (in 2025), showcasing growth in intangible brand assets and cultural exports.
Top Innovation Clusters in India
A science and technology cluster is a geographic region with a high density of inventors and scientific authors. Reflecting a rapidly expanding domestic ecosystem, India now hosts four innovation clusters in the World’s Top 100:
- Bengaluru (21st globally)
- Delhi (26th globally)
- Mumbai (46th globally)
- Chennai (A new entry into the Top 100)
