NEW DELHI: Reflecting strong business confidence, India ranked third globally in trademark filings, with nearly 5.4 lakh new applications in 2024, narrowing the gap with the US, the second-biggest filer with a little under 5.7 lakh applications.China maintained its lead with 68 lakh filings, despite a steady three-year decline in activity.According to data shared with TOI by Clarivate, a global provider of transformative intelligence, India witnessed 9.3% growth. The strong growth suggests an increasing awareness about the importance of creating brands and the value of intellectual property among local Indian businesses.

China tops with 68 lakh, US stood 2nd

It also indicates strong local commercial confidence and investment as businesses and entrepreneurs seek to take advantage of increasing opportunities and consumer demand for new products and services in the Indian market, Robert Reading, head of IP content strategy at Clarivate, told TOI.Over the past decade, the USPTO averaged 5% annual growth in trademark filing volume, while the Indian Trademark Office saw average annual growth of 10%. So, even though trademark filing activity is growing in the US, it is expanding faster in India, and the gap between the two in terms of overall volume is likely to close in 2025 or 2026, he added.Drug company Alkem Labs led local companies with 4,931 trademark registrations as of Jan 1, 2025, followed by ITC (4,923).The growth in India has been driven by a strong domestic brand sector, which accounts for over 95% of trademark applications filed annually in India, the latest Trademark Filing Trends 2025 report said.