Case Study · Docket No. SSB/SCHN
SE

Schneider Electric India

Senior Engineer — R&D & Intellectual Property

TenureApr 2011 — Dec 2012
LocationBengaluru
StatusGranted
1Sole IP professional for the India product-development centre
LicensedCompetitor took commercialisation license on core patent
2Domains landscaped: Smart Grid & Energy Management
PoC/PoVDelivered at the Power System Global R&D centre

The Brief

A newly scaling India R&D centre needed a single owner to align local invention output with global patent-filing targets, while also proving out early-stage PoC/PoV work at the Power System Global R&D centre.

Approach

  • Served as the sole IP professional for the India product-development centre, coordinating with global R&D centres to meet annual patent-filing targets aligned to technology strategy.
  • Prosecuted patent claims in software-controlled electric circuit-breaker technology — claims strong enough that a competitor ultimately took a commercialisation license.
  • Conducted patent landscape studies for Smart Grid and Energy Management Systems informing R&D investment decisions.
  • Contributed to PoC and PoV projects at the Power System Global R&D centre, facilitating design-thinking ideation and co-creation sessions to validate solution concepts before full development.

Outcome & Business KPIs

  • Drove a patent position strong enough to result in a competitor taking a commercialisation license.
  • Established the India centre's first structured link between local invention disclosure and global filing strategy.
  • Delivered validated PoC/PoV concepts ahead of full development commitment.

Tools & Frameworks

Patent prosecutionSmart Grid landscape analysisDesign Thinking facilitationPoC/PoV validation