Challenges and opportunities in conducting patent audits in Indian academic institutions

Why this topic matters to everyday life

Behind many products we use—from cleaner drinking water to better medicines—lie ideas first developed in universities. In India, campuses like the IITs and IISc are filing more and more patents to protect these ideas. But simply collecting patents is not enough; they must be checked, maintained, and steered toward real-world use. This paper explains how systematic "patent audits" can help Indian universities stop wasting good ideas and turn more of their research into benefits for society and the economy.

Hidden value in university inventions

Indian universities have become powerful engines of research, helped by national programs that encourage innovation and start-ups. As a result, they now hold thousands of patents. The authors show that, without regular review, many of these patents lapse, cover outdated work, or are never offered to industry. A patent audit—much like a financial audit—takes stock of all patents an institution owns, checks whether they are still legally alive, and asks which ones have real market promise. The paper argues that bringing this kind of discipline into Indian academia is essential if public investment in research is to pay off.

What a patent audit actually does

The study proposes a step-by-step framework tailored to Indian universities. First, a patent portfolio evaluation creates a complete inventory and uses modern data tools, including artificial intelligence, to group patents by technology and spot the most promising ones. Next, technology benchmarking compares these patents with global activity: Who else is working in these areas? Which inventions sit in crowded fields, and which occupy open, strategic ground? A risk evaluation stage then checks for weak legal protection, overlapping claims, or chances that others might challenge the patents. Finally, patent enforcement and commercialization assessment decide whether each patent should be licensed, kept as a defensive asset, partnered with industry, or quietly abandoned to save money.

Obstacles on Indian campuses

The authors combine literature, data from the top 25 government-funded technical institutions, and case studies to map the main hurdles. Many faculty and administrators simply do not understand patents well enough to manage them. Professional IP staff and specialized software are expensive, and patent filing and renewal fees strain university budgets. Slow and complex procedures, both inside institutions and in the national patent office, discourage researchers from engaging with the system. On top of this, weak ties to industry mean that even strong patents may never find a company willing to develop them. The paper’s tables show these challenges side by side with potential remedies, such as training programs, streamlined rules, and targeted funding.

Lessons from leaders at home and abroad

Looking beyond India, the authors describe how universities in the United States, Europe, China, Latin America, and other developing regions run patent audits through technology transfer offices and national support schemes. These institutions routinely clean up their portfolios, track which patents attract citations and deals, and align their protection with priority sectors. Within India, examples from IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IISc, Anna University, and JNU demonstrate that dedicated IP offices, incubators, and strong industry partnerships already yield more licenses and start-ups when combined with regular audits. The study argues that India can adapt these practices rather than copying them wholesale, focusing on pragmatic, data-driven audits that fit local budgets and policy goals.

What this means for policy and the public

The paper concludes that patent audits should become a routine feature of publicly funded universities in India, supported by government incentives, clear IP policies, and national training programs. Done well, audits help identify a smaller set of high-value patents, cut spending on low-impact ones, and guide collaborations with companies that can turn academic ideas into useful products and services. For the wider public, the message is that better housekeeping of intellectual property is not a dry bureaucratic exercise; it is a practical way to ensure that taxpayer-funded research in Indian laboratories leads to more innovations in clinics, farms, factories, and everyday life.

Citation: Santhalia, G., Singh, P. Challenges and opportunities in conducting patent audits in Indian academic institutions. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 13, 545 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-026-06843-7

Keywords: patent audits, Indian universities, innovation management, technology transfer, intellectual property