Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala
Managing Partner and Chief IP Attorney
Dr. Kalyan C. Kankanala brings over twenty years of Intellectual Property expertise, heading BananaIP Counsels' consulting and strategy division. His practice encompasses Patents, Designs, Copyrights, and Trademarks across filing, prosecution, opposition, and enforcement matters. He has directly handled and overseen the filing and prosecution of thousands of IP applications in India and internationally.
Biography
Dr. Kankanala founded BananaIP Counsels in 2004 at NSRCEL, the entrepreneurship cell of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. Under his leadership, the firm has grown to serve over 1,300 clients and handle more than 40,000 projects across diverse technology domains.
His client base includes respected organisations in automotive, electric mobility, software, artificial intelligence, electronics, telecommunications, biosciences, and sustainability sectors. He collaborates with business leadership to identify IP assets, develop portfolios, reduce legal risks, and create economic value from Intellectual Property.
As a globally recognised IP expert, academic, and author, Dr. Kankanala has contributed significantly to the field of patent law in India. He is the lead author of "Indian Patent Law and Practice" published by Oxford University Press, which is widely cited as a reference work in the field.
Areas of Expertise
- Patent Strategy and Portfolio Development
- Trademark Filing and Prosecution
- Copyright and Design Protection
- IP Litigation and Enforcement
- IP Consulting and Advisory
- Technology Licensing and Commercialisation
- IP Valuation and Due Diligence
- Corporate IP Training
Industry Focus
Publications
Indian Patent Law and Practice
Oxford University Press
A widely cited reference work on patent law in India, covering filing, prosecution, and enforcement.
Genetic Patent Law and Strategy
Manupatra
Comprehensive analysis of genetic patents and biotechnology IP strategy.
Pirates of Bollywood
Notion Press
A legal thriller exploring copyright issues in the Indian entertainment industry.
Awards and Recognition
- National and international scholarships for academic contributions to patent law
- Cited in Harvard Journal of Law & Technology
- Cited in Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law
- Cited in Washington University Global Studies Law Review
- Featured on UNESCO Story4Development platform
- TEDx Speaker on inventor motivation