The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2025, ranking 139 economies.

Key Highlights

• India’s Innovation Landscape: India has made a steady climb from 48 in 2020 to 38 in 2025 and 1st among lower-middle-income economies and in Central & Southern Asia.
• India performs best in Knowledge & Technology Outputs (22) and Market Sophistication (38), reflecting a vibrant ICT sector and entrepreneurial market environment.
  • while its weakest rankings are in Business Sophistication (64), Infrastructure (61), and Institutions (58).
  • Major innovation strengths include a large talent pool, an expanding startup ecosystem, export-oriented IT services, and increasing digital adoption.
• China enters the GII top 10 for the first time, leading globally in Knowledge and technology outputs.
• According to GII-2025, R&D growth fell to 2.9 per cent in 2024 and is projected to drop further to 2.3 per cent in 2025.
• This marks a sharp decline from a 4.4 per cent increase the previous year, the lowest growth since the 2010 financial crisis.

Top Innovation Economies by Region

Top Innovators by Income Group

What is the Global Innovation Index?

• It is an annual ranking by WIPO that assesses the innovation capabilities and performance of economies around the world. 
• The GII evaluates countries on metrics such as research and development, infrastructure, institutions, market sophistication, knowledge output, and creative output.
• Source and Methodology: The index evaluates 139 economies on over 80 indicators that measure innovation inputs and outputs.
• Significance: Acts as a benchmark for policymakers, educationists, investors, and researchers, guiding strategies to foster innovation-led growth.

DOWNLOAD PDF