Abstract
Women remain significantly underrepresented in technology creation and commercialisation, with barriers particularly acute in emerging economies such as India. Despite expanded innovation infrastructure and strengthened intellectual property (IP) protections, women’s participation in patenting and entrepreneurship continues to lag behind rising STEM education levels. This research examines these gendered dynamics within India’s national innovation system, framing patents not as neutral legal instruments but as governance mechanisms that mediate access to resources, networks, and commercialisation pathways. Using descriptive patent data and comparative institutional analysis, the study highlights structural and organisational factors that shape women’s inventive activity and patent quality. Findings indicate that strengthening patent protections alone is insufficient; inclusive innovation requires complementary institutional arrangements that enhance access to funding, networks, and formal patenting opportunities. By foregrounding gender equity as a critical driver of innovation system performance, this research informs strategies for designing more inclusive and effective knowledge-governance frameworks in emerging economies.