Rourkela: National Institute of Technology Rourkela (NIT Rourkela) has crossed a major milestone in its research and innovation journey, with more than 100 patents filed by it granted so far.
To date, the institute has filed 230 patents, comprising 218 national and 12 international filings. Out of these, 101 patents have been granted, including 97 national and 4 international patents, marking a significant milestone for the institute’s research and innovation ecosystem, official sources said on Thursday.
In 2025 alone, the Institute was granted 23 patents, marking growth over previous years.
Key innovation domains The granted patents from NIT Rourkela span across diverse domains, including AI-based vehicular communication systems, autonomous drone technologies, industrial waste treatment prototypes, health-monitoring IoT devices, sustainable food packaging technologies, and advanced materials derived from waste resources.
Speaking about the achievement, Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao, Director, NIT Rourkela, said, “Surpassing 100 granted patents marks a significant milestone in NIT Rourkela’s journey toward building a strong culture of research, innovation, and intellectual property creation. With over 230 patents filed and 101 granted to date, our growing portfolio reflects impactful work across priority areas such as AI-driven technologies, sustainable materials, healthcare and biomedical solutions, semiconductors, and water research. With 91 patent applications filed in 2025 alone, we are accelerating our efforts to strengthen an innovation-driven ecosystem and aim to double the number of granted patents in the coming year, contributing meaningfully to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047.”
To support its faculty in filing patents to protect and secure their innovations and technologies, NIT Rourkela’s Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIPR) serves as a comprehensive platform for intellectual property development. It supports creating awareness and capacity in IP matters within and beyond the institute, reviewing and approving IP proposals from faculty and students, assisting in patent filing, prosecution, and grant processes, facilitating licensing, technology transfer, and collaborations, and supporting MoUs and issuing NOCs related to IP matters
Looking forward, NIT Rourkela aims to strengthen its innovation ecosystem by expanding industry partnerships, increasing international patent filings, and promoting technology transfer for societal and industrial impact.
Patent development at NIT Rourkela contributes directly to national goals such as Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India by promoting indigenous innovation, supporting industrial competitiveness, attracting investments, and fostering sustainable technological development aligned with India’s socioeconomic priorities.
