New Delhi, Feb 28 (IANS): India is now among the top five countries in scientific research, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Jitendra Singh, said on Wednesday. He said this while addressing the "National Science Day 2024" programme in Vigyan Bhawan.

"We are globally among the top five countries in scientific research publications, 40th in the Global Innovation Index (GII) showcasing a remarkable climb from 81st rank in 2015 and our patent filings have crossed 90,000 which is the highest in two decades," the Union Minister said.

Dr. Jitendra Singh said that in the wake of recent scientific achievements, it may be underscored that the rising trajectory of India over the past 10 years is being witnessed globally.

Meanwhile, the Minister also noted that India's bio-economy has grown 13 fold in the last 10 years from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024.

"India is ranked as the world's third-largest Startup Ecosystem with more than 100 unicorns and Incubators under DST are providing job opportunities to nearly 1.5 lakh youth. The Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution are examples of Agricultural transformation through science, innovation and technology which also gave a new avenue for Agri-startups," he said.