After a terrific response to our call for applications for the SpicyIP Tech Innovation Policy Fellowship we are pleased to announce the selected Fellows – Ambika Aggarwal and Karthika Rajmohan.
The fellowship was made possible by a generous grant from the FOSS United Foundation, a non-profit that aims at promoting & strengthening the Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) ecosystem in India. The SpicyIP Tech Innovation Policy Fellowship is devised to contribute to the wider discourse of analysis of IP-related law and policy around new and emerging technologies, such as the discourse around software patents, the AI-IP law and policy interfaces, etc. The underlying theme of the Fellowship is to understand how Indian IP laws and policies can focus on innovation as progress in society, rather than a diluted understanding that limits it to the mechanical fulfilment of specific laws.
Since the eligibility of the fellowship included no bar on age or educational qualifications but an interest in IP law vis-a-vis emerging tech – we received several impressive applications from different backgrounds including but not limited to students, working professionals, practising lawyers, and academicians. After a rigorous round of shortlisting process, we are pleased to introduce to our readers the first cohort of the SpicyIP Tech Innovation IP Policy Fellows –
Ambika Aggarwal
Ambika Aggarwal is presently pursuing a Ph.D. (IP Law) at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad. Her experience includes working as Research Assistant at the office of the DPIIT-IPR Chair, NALSAR University of Law where she was extensively engaged in public policy review and analysis, feedback on international intellectual property treaties, organizing outreach workshops and publications on contemporary IP issues. She is also a recipient of the Danida Fellowship on Fostering Innovation & Commercialisation of Intellectual Property Rights (2023) awarded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark. Her areas of research span various interfaces of new technologies and intellectual property laws, working frequently on innovation, technical standards, new methods of content creation in copyright works and designs, and intellectual property policy.
Karthika Rajmohan
Karthika Rajmohan is a Consultant with Inclusive Minds. A graduate of National Law University Mumbai, Karthika spent over three years working in consulting, providing policy and regulatory support to the e-commerce and FMCG industries. She also worked as an Associate Policy Counsel at the Internet Freedom Foundation, focusing on issues of privacy and data protection, cybersecurity, platform governance and telecom policy. Keenly interested in the intersection of technology, law and society, Karthika also undertakes independent research and has had her work featured on platforms such as Tech Policy Press and Medianama.
As part of the fellowship, the fellows will, over a period of 12 months, write and publish (at least) one, rigorously researched, and where possible, evidence-backed blogpost of at least 1500 words, for each month of the Fellowship. Fellows will also be encouraged to publicly present or publish their writings or findings in other venues where possible.
We are very happy to welcome the fellows and we look forward to having more discussions on IP and Tech on the blog!