Indian startups file 83,000 patents in FY23; AI, neurotechnology lead

New Delhi, (IANS): Led by artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and neuro-technology, India witnessed 83,000 patents being filed by deep-tech startups in FY2023, marking an annual growth rate of 24.6 per cent which is highest since the last two decades, a Nasscom report showed on Friday.

The number of patents granted also witnessed significant growth, rising over 2 times between FY2019-FY2023.

This trend is expected to increase significantly with over 100K patents granted between March 15, 2023 and March 14 this year.

"The surge in patent filings within the last few years is a clear indication of India’s growing innovation prowess, particularly in areas like AI," said Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom.

To further enhance domestic patent activity, collaborations among key stakeholders are essential for fostering and increasing awareness of intellectual property rights, she added.

Over the past decade, the proportion of patents filed by residents (primary filers based in India) has doubled, climbing from 33.6 per cent of total filings in fiscal year 2019 to more than 50 per cent in fiscal year 2023.

"The filing of over 900 patents since 2008 by leading Indian deep-tech startups coupled with the submission of 32,000 Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) applications in India by other countries stood as a testament to this increasing focus," the report noted.

Amongst the top application areas, healthcare related patents primarily around medical imaging, diagnosing, report generation and testing saw the maximum applications, followed by automation/software development and retail/ecommerce.AI saw maximum patents filed in areas of image processing, NLP, and predictive modelling, while Gen AI, medical data processing and cognitive computing are the key emerging areas.Indian startups file 83,000 patents in FY23; AI, neurotechnology lead | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........→October 24, 2024

India's elusive snow leopards snapped in key survey

NEW DELHI - Snow leopards have been dubbed the "ghosts of the mountains" for their elusive behaviour, but Indian researchers have successfully photographed more than 200 in a landmark study estimating at least 718 across the country.

The mammoth five-year survey, the first nationwide review of snow leopards in India, monitored 120,000 square kilometres of their remote mountain habitat, according to the environment ministry.

It involved setting out camera traps in nearly 2,000 locations recording more than 180,000 nights -- the equivalent to nearly 500 years -- to record 241 individual leopards on camera.

The leopards -- with thick grey fur dotted with dark spots, and large paws that act as natural snow shoes -- are "masters of stealth and camouflage", according to the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) India, who assisted the assessment.

The environment ministry said the survey has "significantly increased understanding" of the rare creatures, Indian media reported Wednesday.

Snow leopards, scientific name panthera uncia, are listed as "vulnerable" species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Before the survey, the WWF had suggested that there were between 400-700 snow leopards in India. The report now puts the total number in the upper range of earlier estimates.

Two-thirds of the cats are found in India's far northern Ladakh, with the rest in Himalayan states including Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, the survey found.

"Consistent monitoring is essential to ensuring snow leopards' long-term survival," the environment ministry added.

The Snow Leopard Trust, a US-based conservation group, says the exact total number is not known but that "there may be as few as 3,920 and probably no more than 6,390" across 12 countries in Asia.The IUCN has dubbed the solitary cat the "ghost of the mountains" for its ability to hide, noting numbers are "decreasing mostly due to habitat loss, poaching, and the impacts of climate change". India's elusive snow leopards snapped in key survey

Read More........→October 21, 2024