In recent survey of firms operating in India it was found out that filing patent applications to protect intellectual property right has been growing. Patents filed with Indian patent office have grown by 20% to reach 35,000. With large skilled worker concentration and diversified activities including research in fundamental science Bangalore leads patent filing in India. Leading multinationals encourage their employees to protect their research and innovation by suitably filing for patents.

It is a tough job to tell the patent office that you have an original idea that is distinct and can be registered as a patent. More and more qualified persons are now engaged in writing patents as well as defending patent rights and warding infringements thereof. Couple of Indian companies especially in pharmaceuticals has defended their right to market drug dosages in US market winning cases against giant pharmaceutical firms. Dr Reddy Laboratories has won significant number such cases and is a strong player in patent market.

Texas Instruments came to India in 1985. It has made significant gains from Indian operations. It had filed more than 500 patent applications from India since 1985, including 70 during 2007 with the US patent office. NXP semiconductor is a competitor to Texas Instruments with operations in India. It has filed for 20 patents in 2007 up from 5 it had filed a year ago.

Indians and Chinese are dominating the US patent applications in past decade. A study has found that while Chinese had filed 16.8% of the total application in 2006, an Indian name figures as inventor or a co-inventor in 5761 applications out of 42,019 or 13.7% of the total patent applications filed. Researchers have also found that Indians have increased their presence in patent filing from 9.5% of the patents filed in 1998 to 13.7% in 2006, a remarkable achievement.

Indians filed 922 patents to protect their research or advances in field of preparation for medical, dental or toilet field. Electrical digital data processing is the second highest field with 638 patents. Transmission of digital information with 534 patents and semiconductor devices with 381 patents are placed third and fourth highest patents filed by the Indians singly or jointly. The major reason attributed for such a surge in patent filing is environment that has facilitated research besides innovative mind. Increasing intake of foreign students in US, hiring of more Indians by US firms, dedication shown by immigrant population are also held out other reasons for the surge in  filing of patents by Indians and Chinese. Interestingly the study has determined the nationality of the patent filers from the surnames. Singh and Patel are most common amongst Indian filers. These two groups of persons originate from Punjab and Gujarat from India, two of most prosperous states. These communities are known to emigrate, settle and blend with local population. One can find large number of self employed or business owners hailing from these two communities.