BananaIP Counsels
Intellectual Property has assumed a very high value in today’s knowledge-driven economy. The awareness of IP has increased dramatically among Indian people and businesses since 2005 and IP is today highly valued by them. Technology and knowledge-driven companies consider IP as an integral part of their business operations and strategy.
IP has become crucial for many industries ranging from entertainment to biotechnology. Considering the increasing consumer awareness of IP, it is fast becoming an integral part of the product promotion and advertising activities of many companies. Moreover, Intellectual Property creators are today highly regarded and the generation of IP is forming part of employee assessment criteria in various sectors.
The Foundation
With the vision of offering high quality, technology, and business-driven Intellectual Property law services following international standards, Dr. Kalyan Kankanala co-founded BananaIP Counsels (formerly Brain League) in 2004. The firm was incubated from IIMB’s entrepreneurship cell (NSRCEL) and has today emerged as a top-ranked and premier IP firm in India.
Their commitment to excellence led to multiple accomplishments making BananaIP the best and the most sought-after firm in India where they:
- Built the strongest and best team in India
- Acquired an enviable client portfolio
- Developed a reputation for world-class expertise
- Contributed significantly to the Indian IP law, policy, and eco-system
- Launched highly specialized, ‘one of its kind’ IP services
- Integrated modern, cutting edge technologies with proprietary methods to augment the firm’s top-notch service offerings
BananaIP differentiates itself from other firms through its achievements and accomplishments in IP services, contributions to the law and policy framework, and business-driven IP research. The firm and its partners are recognized and ranked as leaders in the IP industry. They hold honorary positions with national and international IP committees and research centers, and their views are regularly cited by leading news organizations, journals, and research publications.
BananaIP’s Service Portfolio
BananaIP is recognized as a pioneer in the evolution of IP in India through high-quality services, law, and policy contributions, highly cited publications, and proactive technology integration.
With a team of more than 60 legal and technical professionals, BananaIP is one of the largest IP firms in India today. They serve more than 600 clients and have managed more than 20,000 files or projects. BananaIP has counseled more than 200 start-ups and numerous individual entrepreneurs. They also have published ten IP books and more than 5,000 articles on leading online forums, journals, magazines, and publishers. BananaIP’s IP publication, Intellepedia (www.bananaip.com/ip-news-center), is recognized as one of the world’s top 10 IP blogs and is a primary reference source for in-house counsels, legal professionals, and academics.
From the nascent days of IP in the country, BananaIP has collaborated with premier organizations including the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore (IIMB), and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) on corporate and SME education and policy setting to develop and drive IP awareness for businesses across the country.
Being one of the rare firms to have been entrusted with such responsibilities, BananaIP continues to be a sought-after advisor by leading businesses, academic, and R&D institutions, as well as business incubators. The senior partners have contributed to research projects undertaken by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) as well as the Indian Patent Office (IPO).
Well recognized for their work and accomplishments, BananaIP’s senior partners are frequently invited to speak at the company, government and industry organizations, and academic institutions.
Our partners have delivered talks at Samsung, Mahindra & Mahindra, Crompton, GE, Bosch, Emerson, the Council of Scientific, and Industrial Research (CSIR), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), National Law School of India University (NLSIU), National Academy of Legal Studies and Research (NALSAR), Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IITB), Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIMA), National Institute of Technology, Surathkal (NITS), Gujarat National Law University (GNLU), and others.
BananaIP’s senior partners are also advisory and steering committee members on several centers of excellence that play an important role in law and policymaking in India such as the Centre for Excellence in IP and Standards, Centre of Sports and Entertainment Law, and Centre of IP Research and Advocacy.
BananaIP’s team
BananaIP’s success is due to the exceptional talent, understanding, credentials, and experience of its senior partners. Dr. Kalyan Kankanala, Nitin Nair, Somashekar Ramakrishna, Vinita Radhakrishnan, and Sanjeeth Hegde are the firm’s core. They are what sets BananaIP apart from other IP firms or consultancies in India.
Each senior partner has carefully cultivated the expertise necessary to lead their practice areas through advanced education and qualifications; handpicked and groomed associates from the best law, technology, and management schools; and continuous quality and process improvements.
They have all held Intellectual Property Rights positions in North America, Europe, and Asia during their careers before founding BananaIP. Their collective qualifications, background, and expertise are unmatched in India.
Departments
BananaIP has structured its departments based on client industry requirements and current legal developments. They are the only firm in India with this high degree of specialization. The firm has the following departments:
Patent Departments
- Mechanical and Manufacturing
- Automotive
- Green Energy
- Electronics, Telecom, and IT
- AI and Machine Learning
- Electric Vehicles, Telematics & Applications
- Biosciences, Pharma & Traditional Medicine
- Start-ups
Other IP Departments
- IP Consulting, Advisory & Strategy
- Trademark & Copyright
- Entertainment Law
- eCommerce Law
- Technology Law
- Industrial Designs
- International Filings (Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, and Designs)
- Litigation Management
- Open Source Licensing
- Corporate IP Training
Dr. Kalyan Kankanala’s Professional Experience-
- He is recognized among the top IP minds in India.
- He has advised more than 1000 clients on IP matters.
- He also is an internationally cited attorney and strategist.
- He has worked with Fortune 500 technology/knowledge-driven businesses, premier research/educational institutions, SMEs, and also start-ups on a wide range of IP projects;
- He teaches courses on Intellectual Property, Creativity and Business Value at select educational institutions such as IIM, Bangalore, IIM, Shillong, and NLSIU, Bangalore.
