India faces innovation gap despite sectoral successes

India has demonstrated significant progress in sectors such as IT services, generic pharmaceuticals, digital public infrastructure, space missions, and precision engineering. The country has also seen a vibrant technology startup ecosystem and improvements in its Global Innovation Index ranking, supported by an increase in patent filings.

Despite these achievements, a gap remains in converting scientific research into globally recognized, domestically owned research-intensive firms. Several structural and cultural barriers hinder this transition, including insufficient investment in R&D, a lack of patient capital for long-term projects, and poor collaboration between industry and academia.

The educational system is also cited as a constraint, as it tends to prioritize rote learning and exam scores over lateral thinking and problem-solving. Consequently, while India produces a high volume of STEM graduates, the number of researchers per capita remains lower than in countries like the United States, South Korea, and Japan.