India IP Advantage Summit 2026

From “Make In India” To “Own In India”

Remfry & Sagar Partner and Patent Chair, Pankaj Soni, participated in the inaugural edition of the India IP Advantage Summit 2026, organised by the Trade Promotion Council of India (TPCI) in New Delhi on August 6, 2026.

Pankaj joined the panel discussion “Code, Data & the Algorithm – Software Patents, AI Copyright, Data Governance and Trade Secrets in India’s Digital and Technology Economy”, which examined the increasingly complex interface between intellectual property, data and emerging technologies. He shared valuable legal and practical perspectives on the rapidly evolving IP landscape, highlighting the importance of strategic thinking and robust legal pre-emptive measures and actions to be kept in mind for optimal protection and commercialisation in a digital and AI driven economy.

Moderated by Sumantra Mukherjee, Partner, PwC India, the panel also featured Vinayak Godse, CEO, Data Security Council of India; Rakesh Sharma, EVP – Solutions & Strategy, Intuitive AI; K. Sudodh Kumar, Head – IP Services, Tata Consultancy Services; and Dr Pritam Banerjee, former Head, Centre for WTO Studies.

The opening plenary included Justice Prathiba M. Singh of the Delhi High Court; Prof. Unnat P. Pandit, Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks; Vinamra Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises; and Vijay Gauba, Additional Director General, TPCI, among others.

Snehal Nigam of Remfry & Sagar also attended the event. Built around the theme “From Make in India to Own in India”, the Summit brought together perspectives from the judiciary, government, industry, innovators, in-house counsel and the IP community. A recurring theme was the need to move the IP conversation beyond filing volumes towards ownership, value capture and commercialisation — and to view IP as an integral part of India’s broader innovation and economic strategy. Strengthening links between innovation, IP creation, technology transfer, investment and export competitiveness will be central to building an ecosystem in which Indian businesses not only develop and manufacture technologies and products, but increasingly own and commercialise the intellectual assets that underpin them.