India's technology hubs are undergoing a transformation, driven by the integration of artificial intelligence in the patent creation process. Executives from global firms and local innovators have highlighted the potential of AI to accelerate the development and filing of intellectual property. Radhakrishnan Kodakkal, head of Daimler Truck Innovation Center India, emphasized that AI would significantly speed up the pace of innovation, noting that the number of intellectual properties, patents, and trade secrets created by global companies in India is already on the rise.

India's tech ecosystem has evolved from being a low-cost back-office destination to a center of innovation, with AI playing a pivotal role in this shift. The ability of AI tools to handle tasks such as coding and design has made it easier for firms to generate new products and file patents more efficiently. This trend is particularly evident in the growing number of multinational corporations setting up innovation centers in India, leveraging AI to enhance their R&D capabilities.

According to a report by Nasscom and consultancy Zinnov, Indian GCCs generated about $98.4 billion in revenue last fiscal year, hitting industry projections four years ahead of schedule. Additionally, patent filings in India rose 11.3% to over 90,000 in fiscal 2024, with nearly half of these filings coming from multinational companies. This increase highlights the growing importance of India as a hub for innovation and intellectual property generation.

Despite the optimism, challenges remain in the Indian patent filing process. Deena Dayalan, global head of digital operations and cloud transformation at Kimberly-Clark, noted that the company does not file patents from India, opting instead to do so through the U.S. due to the difficulties in the Indian Patent Office. Harsh Kaushik, a New Delhi-based expert, pointed out that backlog and manpower shortages have long slowed the pace of examination and grant, creating bottlenecks for innovators.

The Indian Patent Office is still grappling with systemic issues that hinder the efficiency of patent processing. However, the increasing adoption of AI tools is expected to alleviate some of these challenges by automating routine tasks and improving the speed of examination. As the ecosystem continues to evolve, the role of AI in streamlining the patent creation process will become even more critical for Indian tech hubs.