Global Innovation Index 2026: India ranked 38th of 139 economies
Why in the news
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) released the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2026 in Geneva on 29 September 2026. India’s placing drew attention on 30 September.
Key facts
- India stands 38th out of 139 economies with a score of 40.1.
- India is first in Central and Southern Asia; Bhutan (74th) and Kazakhstan (73rd) are far behind it in the region.
- India is called an innovation overperformer for the 16th year in a row, a streak shared with Viet Nam.
- India’s knowledge and technology outputs pillar rose to 15th place, from 22nd.
| Position | Economy |
|---|---|
| 1 | Switzerland |
| 2 | Sweden |
| 3 | United States |
| 4 | Republic of Korea |
| 5 | Singapore |
| 10 | China |
About the GII
The GII is published by WIPO, the United Nations agency for intellectual property. It ranks economies on their innovation inputs and outputs. The 2026 theme is “Powering entrepreneurs at the frontier of science, turning pilots into pipelines”, which focuses on deep-science start-ups.
Exam angle
- Note the publisher (WIPO), the number of economies (139) and India’s rank (38).
- India’s rank is the same as in GII 2025, when it was also 38th; one news report that claimed a rise from 40th conflicts with that.
- China is the only middle-income economy in the top 15.