IIT Kanpur files 122 IPRs in 2023 and other news

IIT Kanpur files 122 IPRs in 2023

IIT Kanpur has filed a total of 122 Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) and achieved a licensing rate of around 14% to industry partners in 2023. This marks its third straight year of securing the most IPRs in its history, taking the overall count to 1,039 IPRs.

The 122 IPRs filed include 108 patents, four design registrations, three copyrights, and one trademark application, along with four US and two China patents. The year also saw 167 IPRs being granted with 15 technologies licensed.

The patents for inventions from varied domains such as medtech and nano-technology include innovative healthcare solutions like a portable medical suction device and a continuous lung health monitoring system. Other notable patents include solid-state sodium-ion batteries and an affordable Braille learning device for the blind and visually impaired.

The institute also saw a substantial increase in the number of IPRs granted in the calendar year. The 167 patents include innovations such as a gas sensor for detecting ammonia at room temperature, a method and apparatus for treating industrial wastewater, a tactile watch for the visually impaired, and a lateral flow immunoassay strip for detecting mastitis in bovines.

Wipro’s dispute with Cognizant over former CFO referred to arbitration: Reports

The court case filed by Wipro against its former CFO Jatin Dalal, who joined rival Cognizant, has been referred to arbitration by a court in Bengaluru, according to media reports.

The development was reported by the Times of India and Moneycontrol.

Wipro had filed a case against Dalal citing the violation of the non-compete agreement by joining a rival company and had even sought Rs 25 crore in damages. Dalal in his application had sought the arbitration process to settle the case.

Under arbitration, disputes can be resolved between the parties without going to court with the arbitrator adjudicating the whole issue and the decision is legally enforceable.

Dalal resigned as CFO of Wipro in September 2023, and his last working day was on November 30. He had joined the company in 2002 and became the CFO in 2015. He joined Cognizant on December 1.

Majority of CIOs in the US see IT budgets increasing in 2024: Survey

About 73% of CIOs in the US foresee an increase in their IT budgets for 2024, a survey by Recognize, a technology investment platform that focuses exclusively on the tech services industry, noted.

It added that while 15% expect no change, 12% predict a reduction, signalling an investment trend in the tech sector for the upcoming year.

On the IT initiatives adopted by organisations, cyber/data security tops the list with 36%. Following closely, the second-highest initiative is artificial intelligence with 35% responses, while the third-ranking initiative is cloud migration with 29%.

The survey also noted that 69% of organisations presently utilise large language models (LLMs), indicating extensive adoption. However, 24% of companies are yet to implement this technology, and 7% are uncertain about their engagement with these advanced AI systems.

LTIMindtree forms partnership with Farmers Edge

Technology services company LTIMindtree has partnered with Farmers Edge, a digital agricultural company, to launch the Farmers Edge Innovation Lab (FEIL) in Mumbai.

Farmers Edge and LTIMindtree will collaborate on the best agricultural practices, including sustainability, yield enhancement, and cost reduction for Indian farmers. FEIL - Mumbai aims to create a tailored setup, focusing on weather, soil, and crop cycles unique to the Indian agricultural landscape.

Farmers Edge has advanced capabilities in remote sensing and agronomic modelling, while LTIMindtree’s expertise lies in Gen AI, IoT, automation, and drones. This partnership will look at elevating farming in the country to provide high crop yields at low input costs.

Tech Mahindra appoints Richard Lobo as HR head

Technology services company Tech Mahindra has appointed Richard Lobo as Chief People Officer of the company.

Lobo was previously the HR head at Infosys, where he spent over two decades, and for a brief while, he had an advisory role at edtech company BYJU'S. His appointment comes at a time when Tech Mahindra has also got a new CEO Mohit Joshi, formerly with Infosys as the President. Joshi was formally appointed as the CEO in September 2023.