India emerges as fastest-growing major economy in intangible investments: Piyush Goyal cites WIPO report
New Delhi, July 9
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said India has emerged as the fastest-growing major economy in intangible investments, citing the latest World Intangible Investment Report 2026, which highlighted the country's growing investments in software, research and development, intellectual property and innovation-led capabilities.
Sharing the findings of the report in a post on X, Goyal said India is "powering the next era of innovation-led growth" and is steadily strengthening its position as a global innovation hub.
"The report highlights India's growing intangible investment in areas such as software, R&D, intellectual property, innovation and organisational capabilities that are shaping the economy of the future," Goyal said.
He added that India "recorded the fastest growth in intangible investment among the world's 15 largest economies, reaching USD 78.2 billion in 2023, with 7.9 per cent growth, ahead of tangible investment."
According to Goyal, the report reflects the impact of sustained policy reforms, digital transformation and support for startups under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Driven by the energy and aspirations of our young innovators, entrepreneurs and creators, India remains the world's fastest-growing major economy, a global bright spot, and is steadily building a knowledge-driven future powered by ideas, innovation and enterprise," he said.
The World Intangible Investment Report 2026, published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and Luiss Business School, ranked India as the fastest-growing economy in intangible investment among the world's 15 largest economies, with investment rising 7.9 per cent in 2023. India's intangible investment stood at USD 78.2 billion, exceeding that of several European economies.
The report also highlighted India's strong focus on software and databases, which accounted for nearly 45 per cent of the country's total intangible investment in 2023 -- the highest share among all economies covered in the study. Organisational capital contributed 21.8 per cent, while brands accounted for 9.3 per cent, reflecting the strength of India's information technology and software services sector.
The report noted that India's growing investment in knowledge-based assets such as software, innovation and intellectual property reflects the country's transition towards a more technology-driven and innovation-led economy.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Impressive numbers, but I hope this translates into real-world benefits for the common person. We need more jobs in R&D and innovation, not just for IT graduates but across all sectors. Still, progress is progress. Let's see how this helps the startup ecosystem in tier-2 cities.
As someone who works in global tech, I've seen firsthand how India's software capabilities have grown. The 45% share in software and databases is remarkable. But let's not get carried away - we need to invest more in basic research and not just applied tech. Still, a solid achievement.
Great to see WIPO acknowledging India's progress! I work in IP law and the change in the last 5 years has been massive. More startups are patenting their innovations, and the government's Startup India initiative has genuinely helped. But we still need stronger enforcement of IP rights to truly become an innovation hub. ✌️
All this talk of intangibles and innovation is fine, but what about our manufacturing sector? We can't just be a software and services powerhouse. Need to balance this with hardware and production. But yes, 7.9% growth is impressive - just hope it's not just for show.
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