New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS): The government on Friday announced that a team would be set up to advise on how to further improve India'a ranking in the global index of countries in the sphere of innovations.

"I am announcing that from the Department (of Commerce) a team would be formed that would look at repositioning India in the sphere of innovations," Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said here, releasing the Global Innovation Index 2016 Report at an event hosted by jointly by the Niti Aayog, the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion and industry chamber CII.

"This team, which will include members from both government and outside, will not reinvent the wheel, but will go into the report, identify challenges and weaknesses to India's innovation and what the government can do -- where it should step in and where it should step back and away," Sitharaman said.

In the ninth Global Innovation Index report this year, India has improved its ranking by 15 places over last year, following five previous years of decline in position.

"I commit myself to the government's assistance and facilitation to improve India's innovation ranking next year," the minister said, adding the composition of the committee would be announced in a few days.