Galgotias University’s research output is under scrutiny after a recent incident where it presented a commercially available robotic dog as its own innovation. This event highlights a broader trend among private universities regarding patent filings versus granted patents, with government data showing Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) achieve significantly higher success rates.
Patent Filing vs. Grant Rates Exposed
The controversy erupted at the AI Impact Summit when Galgotias University displayed a robotic dog named ‘Orion.’ The university later admitted to the misrepresentation and apologized. Despite this, the university claims a substantial investment of Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence research.
Publicly available data from the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks reveals Galgotias University has filed 2,297 patent applications since its establishment in 2011. This number exceeds applications filed by established IITs like IIT Bombay (1,646), IIT Madras (1,782), and IIT Kanpur (939).
However, the success rate for these applications is low. Only 24, approximately 1%, of Galgotias University’s filings have resulted in granted patents.
IITs Lead in Granted Patents
The grant of patents is a key measure of research and innovation. While private universities file a large number of applications, their conversion rate to granted patents lags behind premier institutions like the IITs.
Data shows other private universities also face challenges. One private university in Punjab filed over 7,500 applications but secured only 219 granted patents (3%). Two other private universities in Chennai and Bengaluru have a grant rate below 1%. A private institute in Bhubaneswar reported a nearly 6% grant rate.
In contrast, IITs have a 63% publication-to-grant conversion rate. Collectively, IITs have filed 10,660 patent applications and secured 6,675 grants.
| Institute | Published | Granted |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Institutes of Technology (combined) | 10,660 | 6,675 |
| Lovely Professional University | 7,500 | 219 |
| Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences | 4,830 | 36 |
| JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) | 3,264 | 30 |
| Siksha ‘o’ Anusandhan (Deemed-to-be University) | 1,004 | 59 |
| Galgotias University | 2,297 | 24 |
Despite its low patent grant rate, Galgotias University was ranked in the 11-50 band for innovation in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). The top ten positions in this category are held by IITs, the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), and Anna University. Galgotias University was also placed in the 101-150 band in the universities category.
Note: Patent data is based on searches using common institute names. Exact figures may vary due to spelling differences on the IPR portal.