Interview with Arindam Som, Head of Operations at GreyB, a global technology consulting firm

An exclusive interview with Arindam Som, Head of Operations at GreyB, a global technology consulting firm specializing in intellectual property research

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and intellectual property, the role of consultants and experts is pivotal in shaping the direction of innovation. Today, we have the privilege of speaking with Arindam Som, the Head of Operations at GreyB, a renowned global technology consulting firm specializing in intellectual property research.

With a career spanning several years and a wealth of experience in the field, Arindam has played a key role in helping organizations protect their intellectual assets and navigate the complex world of patents and innovation. Join us as we delve into his insights, expertise, and the challenges and opportunities in the dynamic realm of intellectual property.

GreyB is known for its expertise in providing technology solutions. Could you provide insights into the technology stack and cutting-edge framework you deliver to your clients?

Arindam Som: GreyB has earned its reputation for providing innovative technology solutions through a dynamic blend of AI and ML and manual research at its core.

Our proprietary tools, such as BoS, SLATE, Pharsight, and Elixir, serve as the pillars of our tech stack. BoS delivers patent insights that drive business growth, while SLATE mines patent and non-patent literature to uncover core innovation insights. Pharsight and Elixir offer invaluable data on expiring drug patents for generic drug makers.

Equipped with a diverse team of experts to research and analyze various industry challenges, we deliver insights that help our clients stay ahead in the industry. Our mantra is to engage in extensive discussions with clients to understand their needs and pain points, iteratively crafting solutions.

GreyB has empowered clients to overcome critical supply chain challenges through data analytics and AI. These include reducing carbon footprints, identifying alternative materials to eliminate harmful chemicals, achieving significant energy savings, adopting sustainable solutions, and helping clients navigate shifting industry regulations to emerge as market leaders.

Staying ahead of the curve is essential in the rapidly evolving tech industry. How do you lead your team to stay updated with the latest trends and technologies, ensuring that GreyB remains at the forefront of innovation?

Arindam Som: At GreyB, we foster a culture of continuous learning. We invest in in-house training programs and promote cross-team collaboration. On a typical day at GreyB, you’ll find a content analyst discussing patent insights with the intelligence team while the Editorial team takes effective writing workshops for researchers. This synergy sparks innovative ideas and solutions.

Our commitment to innovation extends beyond secondary research, with in-office exploration of technologies like 3D printing, AI chess, AR/VR headsets, and hoverboards.

Further, working on diverse client projects exposes our team to various industries and their unique challenges. Our intelligence team remains vigilant across industries to evaluate the relevance and potential impact of emerging tech trends, industry news, and market trends in various industries. Thus ensuring we stay at the forefront of innovation.

GreyB’s work environment encourages innovation. We allocate time for experimenting with new technologies and concepts, fostering creativity and idea generation. We further grant a research bonus to employees with promising ideas. As a result, many people at GreyB have filed patents and published research papers in different fields.

As per reports, India lags well behind other nations in the issuance of patents. According to you, what issues must be resolved in the Indian patent ecosystem to strengthen its presence?

Arindam Som: While India still lags behind other nations in patent issuance, the scenario has significantly improved in the last decade. The importance of filing patents is becoming more apparent as India advances toward becoming Asia’s innovation hub.

Evidently, India has retained its 40th rank in the global innovation index for the 13th consecutive year. India’s changing IP laws imply that the government is trying to promote an innovation culture.

India must step up its R&D investments to compete in the Global IP market. Some issues that must be resolved to strengthen its presence in the global IP ecosystem include streamlining and expediting the patent filing process, optimizing the grant rate, incentivizing filing, and implementing stringent examinations to improve the quality of patents to bolster the credibility of India’s patent system.

Further, India needs to simplify licensing and technology transfer processes to facilitate the utilization of patented technologies.

Resolving these issues will encourage inventors and innovators to pursue protection for their intellectual property and promote collaboration and innovation in industries.

Innovation often involves overcoming challenges. Could you share a notable instance where your team encountered a complex technical challenge and how you led them to find an effective solution?

Arindam Som: Yes, Innovation often involves overcoming challenges, or as they say, necessity is the mother of invention. One of GreyB’s noteworthy technical challenges was helping our clients understand extensive patent and

non-patent literature. The sheer volume of our research data provided on spreadsheets presented a significant hurdle. We needed to make this data valuable for our clients without them scrolling through thousands of rows and columns.

We tried different solutions – adding a deck of insights in a separate presentation, writing executive summaries of the research, and making the spreadsheets less crowded. But we knew all this was a temporary solution. We wanted to let our clients dig deeper into the data without going through all the fuss. To find them a better way to consume these insights.

This problem required us to come up with something entirely different. We scoured through data management software available in the market, tested different UIs, and collaborated with multiple clients to gauge its value.

Prioritizing our client’s satisfaction and data security, we finally developed an in-house solution- SLATE, a comprehensive patent and non-patent literature management tool.

Through SLATE, we not only simplify complex data for our clients but also facilitate collaboration by providing teams the option to perform unified analysis. Through data mapping, visualization, and integration of our other tools like BoS in SLATE, we help clients gain valuable innovation and business insights, providing a holistic view of the data landscape.

In essence, we transformed a substantial technical challenge into an opportunity for innovation. By developing SLATE, we addressed our clients’ immediate needs of streamlining data analysis, cross-team discussions, and gaining a competitive edge, saving their time and resources.

Innovation is intrinsically linked to the art of overcoming challenges; this maxim is at the very heart of what we do at GreyB. Every technology consulting project we undertake is galvanized by a singular objective: to drive innovation that resolves complex technical hurdles for our clients.

A case in point involves our collaboration with a distinguished dairy company. The challenge was to identify an in-line microbe testing model for their milk production that would supersede the efficiency of their existing lab-based procedures. The technology was in its nascent stages at the time, predominantly being developed by fledgling startups.

Extensive Research: We embarked on a rigorous exploratory journey, mining data from patent literature, scientific journals, government-commissioned projects, and white papers.

Stakeholder Engagement: The team engaged directly with cutting-edge researchers and startups working on relevant prototypes. We meticulously gathered parameters such as accuracy, sensitivity, speed, and scalability to assess potential suitability.

Technical Compatibility: One of our pivotal considerations was the seamless integration of this technology into our client’s existing infrastructure. We didn’t just want to introduce an innovation; we wanted it to be symbiotic with the client’s operations.

Data-Driven Recommendations: Based on our exhaustive research and stakeholder interviews, we distilled our findings into a shortlist of the top three

most viable solutions. These were not merely effective but also amenable to integration with minimal alteration to the existing setup.

The culmination of this project saw our client collaborating with one of the shortlisted startups to actualize this technology in their operations, thereby redefining the efficiency and effectiveness of their quality control measures.

This project epitomizes the alchemy of research rigor, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making that defines our approach to overcoming technical challenges. It’s a vivid demonstration of how we don’t just consult but partner with our clients to turn their challenges into springboards for disruptive innovation

Security is a significant concern in today’s digital landscape. How does your team prioritize cybersecurity measures when developing technology solutions, and what strategies do you employ to safeguard sensitive data?

Arindam Som: Cybersecurity is a paramount concern in the deep tech and innovation domain. GreyB’s stringent data policies extend to every facet of data management. This uncompromising commitment to security forms the bedrock of our client relationships.

We exemplify our dedication to safeguarding sensitive data for clients through industry-leading measures. Our product certifications, including ISO 27001 and SOC-2 compliance, provide secure data exchanges with client servers, allowing us to maintain trusted data communication channels.

Internally, our data resides within a fortified, closed network shielded by firewalls, BitLocker encryption, and data protection policies that guarantee its absolute integrity.

We are equally committed to ensuring our employees undergo rigorous training in cybersecurity awareness and best practices. GreyB’s cybersecurity approach, marked by these factors, empowers our clients to pioneer innovation with utmost confidence

In today’s hyper-connected landscape, cybersecurity transcends being merely a technical issue; it is a cornerstone of business resilience and customer trust. At GreyB, we adhere to an overarching philosophy we term ‘Security by Design,’ which is predicated on the seamless fusion of cybersecurity measures into the developmental fabric of all our technology solutions.

Comprehensive Risk Assessment: We initiate every project by rigorously assessing potential vulnerabilities and cyber threats, employing a combination of SWOT analysis and advanced risk matrices. This preemptive approach informs the design of our security architecture and enables us to mitigate risks at an embryonic stage.

Example: there have been tradesecret related projects, where we assessed high vulnerability. So, we employed an extensive shielding of research being done. So much, that even two team members working on the project didn’t know what the other was working on or identified.

State-of-the-Art Data Encryption: Our commitment to safeguarding sensitive data manifests through robust encryption protocols. Utilizing AES-256 bit encryption—the gold standard in the industry—we ensure that data is unassailable both during transit over the network and when at rest in our storage systems.

Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): By implementing MFA, we add an additional layer of security, thereby minimizing the potential for unauthorized access. This protocol requires not only a password and username but also something that only the user has on them, such as a piece of trusted hardware.

Regular Audits and Penetration Testing from in-house red army team: To maintain a dynamic posture against evolving threats, we built an in-house red army team that conducts relentless audits and penetration tests. This allows us to not merely identify but also rectify security loopholes before they can be exploited, thereby bolstering our defense mechanisms.

Employee Training and Development: Recognizing that human capital is both an asset and a potential vulnerability, we invest in comprehensive cybersecurity training programs for our employees. Through simulated

cyber-attack scenarios and best practices seminars, we instill a culture of vigilance and preparedness.

This multi-faceted approach to cybersecurity fortifies our technology solutions, underpinning the unassailable trust that our clients place in us when entrusting us with their intellectual property and confidential data.

The Indian government also announced plans to improve the ecosystem for deep technology startups. How do you view the need for additional deep tech R&D companies, and what role do companies like GreyB play in building an R&D ecosystem?

Arindam Som: Deep tech R&D companies are crucial for fostering innovation and addressing complex challenges. India’s plan to improve the deep tech startup ecosystem is a strategic move towards becoming an innovation hub. GreyB plays a pivotal role in promoting this ecosystem.

By conducting cutting-edge research and providing valuable insights, we support companies and startups in their R&D endeavors.

Our expertise in technology and innovation consulting helps bridge the gap between research and market-ready solutions, accelerating the development and commercialization of deep tech innovations.

GreyB believes in the power of partnerships to find innovation pathways and looks forward to being a catalyst in building a vibrant R&D ecosystem that propels India to the forefront of deep technology advancements.

Arindam Som’s extensive experience and leadership at GreyB provide valuable insights into the ever-evolving world of intellectual property research and technology consulting. His dedication to helping organizations protect their intellectual assets and navigate the intricate landscape of patents is truly commendable.

As the Head of Operations at GreyB, Arindam continues to be at the forefront of innovation, making a significant impact on the industry. We are grateful for the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of his expertise and the critical role that GreyB plays in supporting businesses around the globe in their pursuit of intellectual property excellence.

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