Sharat is a Director of IP and Patent Attorney at IIPRD and Khurana & Khurana. With over 22 years of experience in Intellectual Property Asset Management (IPAM), Sharat focuses on the entire patent life cycle, including invention ideation and review, patent intelligence, patentability assessment, inventor interviews, patent drafting, foreign filing strategy, patent prosecution, licensing potential and infringement analysis, and litigation support. Sharat’s expertise lies in end-to-end Patent Portfolio Development and Management. Sharat has drafted and prosecuted thousands of patent applications for the US, EU, and Indian jurisdictions in technical domains such as software, client-server architecture, home media, consumer electronics, VLSI circuits, image processing, computer-memory architecture, 5G communication protocols and standards, computer networks, cloud computing, AI-based technologies, mechatronics, mechanical systems and devices, energy technologies, and material sciences. Sharat has owned and implemented critical processes for IP departments across geographies for Patent Portfolio Development for Fortune 100 companies. Sharat has introduced innovative business models for optimum utilisation of in-house patent resources and outside counsel resources across portfolios of more than 5,000 assets, and has successfully collaborated with multiple stakeholders to execute such models. Sharat has trained and mentored numerous patent agents, attorneys, engineers, and scientists on patenting, patent drafting and prosecution, claim interpretation, patent law, and emerging best practices. Sharat created and led one of the largest patent-drafting and prosecution teams in India, delivering more than 3,000 US and global Office Action responses per year and approximately 200 patent applications per year for a Japanese consumer-electronics company that was among the top five US patent filers. Sharat has also led multi-million-dollar engagements with Fortune 100 companies for Patent Portfolio Management and Development, achieving IP-budget savings of up to 30% through a unique blend of innovative IP service offerings, trained human capital, and technology-driven tools.
Sharat is passionate about technology and its use in gaining efficiency and improving quality in IP transactions. As a subject-matter expert, Sharat has implemented a rare combination of patent expertise and technology (including data science) in IP Asset Management, improving process and cost efficiency by approximately 25%. Sharat regularly collaborates with patent attorneys, in-house counsel, Chief Patent Counsels, CIPOs, licensing executives, patent-portfolio managers, and other stakeholders to formulate and execute IP strategies, aligning IP Asset Management with business and strategic objectives. Ranked among the top Patent Prosecution Practitioners in India, Sharat focuses on Patent Portfolio Development and Management, Patent Litigation, Patent Valuation, and IP Commercialisation for multinational companies, law firms, start-ups, and other organisations in the high-technology domain. Sharat is trained in US, European, and Indian Patent Laws and holds a B.E. (Hons.) in Electronics and Communication from M.D. University. Sharat is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, where Sharat attended an executive MBA programme for senior managers. Sharat also holds an LL.B. degree from Karnataka State Law University (KSLU) and is a Registered Patent Agent admitted to practise before the Indian Patent Office.