Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) students, researchers and faculty filed a total of 417 Patents during the 2024-25 Financial Year, surpassing the ‘One Patent A Day’ vision of Director Prof. V. Kamakoti. This includes 298 Indian Patents and 119 International Patents.

Additionally, the institute filed 39 designs, 6 copyrights, and 1 trademark, bringing the total IP filings to 463 for the 2024-25.

Further, in the last five years, IIT Madras has developed various technologies and transferred to industry partners like Startups, MSMEs and MNCs through licensing deals worth Rs. 28 Crore. The biggest of these was the 5G RAN sub-system technology transferred to Tejas Network (TATA Group).

This assumes significance in view of the upcoming ‘World Intellectual Property Day’ celebrated annually on 26th April 2025. According to World IP Organization, IP rights enable researchers, inventors, businesses, designers, artists and others to legally protect their innovative and creative outputs and secure an economic return from them.

IIT Madras has been actively filing patents in various emerging and high-impact fields. These include energy and battery innovations, microfluidic technologies, healthcare and assistive applications besides robotics and Artificial Intelligence. During 2024, a large number of inventions were filed in Electronics and Communication, Energy and Environment, Mechanical and Automotive, Healthcare and Medical Devices, Robotics and Automation, and Materials and Manufacturing, among other fields.

Congratulating all the students, researchers, faculty and the IP Cell of the Institute, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “For India to be a Technology Superpower as we march towards Viksit Bharat @ 2047, protecting our Intellectual Properties is crucial. I am very proud, that the IIT Madras team has filed 417 patents in the Financial year 2024-25, with a significant raise in the number of International patents.”

YEAR NO OF PATENTS FILED

2020-21 119 Indian, 80 Internatioal

2021-22 144 Indian, 70 International

2022-23 157 Indian, 75 International

2023-24 293 Indian, 85 International

2024-25 298 Indian, 119 International

Elaborating further, Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (ICSR), IIT Madras, said, “IIT Madras has been leading in IP filing in the country among academic institutions as it understands the significance of protecting the innovations that will fuel the industries of tomorrow. The transfer of technology to the industry has also been scaled up in recent times, leading to the direct impact of IIT Madras research in practice.”

Highlighting the enabling ecosystem created by the Institute, Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal, Advisor (IPM Cell) and Head, School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, IIT Madras, said, “As India’s leading research-led academic institution, IIT Madras prides itself in pushing the envelope of innovation by students, researchers and faculty. The Institute has created a structured organizational support ecosystem, driving these processes through an IPM Cell. A dedicated office under the Dean (IC&SR) also oversees IP licensing and technology transfers. The results of these initiatives are reflected in the increasing numbers of IP filed, granted and licensed in recent years.”

Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal, who has himself co-founded six deep-tech startups and advises two more, added, “Moreover, as India’s leading nucleus for deep-tech, the Institute has also been strongly promoting IP-backed and deep research-based startups that are disrupting various spheres from space to quantum through various bodies including the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the IIT Madras Incubation Cell. World IP Day provides an excellent occasion to celebrate our students, faculty and staff members driving these initiatives. Being jointly conducted by these various organizations this year, the event also consists of recognition for the stakeholders driving change through IP.”

OTHER IPs FILED by IIT MADRAS IN INDIA

YEAR DESIGNS COPYRIGHTS TRADE MARKS

2020-21 4 3 3

2021-22 10 11 4

2022-23 4 1 4

2023-24 22 15 4

2024-25 39 6 1

TECHNOLOGY TRANSFERS

In the last 5 years, the Technology Transfer Office (TTO) at IIT Madras has doubled the licensing revenue and tripled the number of IPs licensed. On Average, the TTO generates Rs. 2.5 crore through deals annually with around one to two licensing deals a month. TTO also boost the IITM Startup ecosystem by facilitating technology licensing to Students and Faculty inventor owned Startups.

During 2024-2025, the TTO has successfully licensed more than 30 IP/Patents with various companies such as Tunga Aerospace, OEG, AspenTech, Ciena, Rural-Mandi, InsituMicron, Jahen & Jos, Envitran, Zemblance, Greenvironment, Thryv, Chrissron, Raksha Solutions, Sonolight, ParvAI Labs and Tritiyaeye, among others. TTO licensing focused on IP especially patents has greatly increased due to more PCT and international patent filing.

STRUCTURED PROCESS

IIT Madras has implemented a structured patent filing process to foster innovation and protect intellectual property. The Office of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) at IIT Madras coordinates the different aspects related to IP and Technology Transfer. It also has a dedicated Legal Cell. The process begins with inventors submitting their Invention Disclosure Forms to the Intellectual Property Management (IPM) Cell in ICSR.

Additionally, IPM Cell has worked closely with research groups, reviewing their inventions and prototypes, which has contributed to a surge in design filings. A focused effort on copyright protection for researchers’ creative works also led to a substantial number of copyright applications in the last financial year.