In five years, Indian biotechnology firms will earn annual revenues of around $5 billion from outsourcing of biotechnology-related services, envisions Kalyan C Kankanala, CEO, Brain League, an intellectual property management consultant.

A report on clinical research by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) says the contract research service market is estimated to be around $9 billion. ''There is an increased global trend towards collaborative outsourcing,'' the CII report says. The global outsourcing pre-clinical work and clinical research accounts for nearly $13 billion.

With this tremendous potential and current growth, biotechnology companies are waking up to a new reality: Intellectual Property Management. And when this burgeoning biotech segment in India, extremely knowledge driven, requires a consistent approach to managing intellectual assets for optimal commercial benefit, home-grown Brain League plays the unique role - providing integrated services blending technology, management and law - from generation of idea to commercialisation, designing of IPR policy, supporting technology transfer, performing timely IP audits, setting up IP process, managing multiple IP portfolio, IP valuation and technology licensing.

Incubated out of N S Raghavan Center for Entrepreneurship Learning, IIM Bangalore, Brain League stands out as even more unique when it comes to Kalyan C Kankanala, the brain behind Brain League and a visionary in the group. A CEO in his mid 20's and fluent on his laptop presentations, Kalyan is fast losing eyesight due to an incurable genetic disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Today, he is left with barely 10 percent of vision.

It all started when Kalyan was seven-eight years old, says his school friend and now Brain League partner Arun Narasani. ''But Kalyan was undeterred. With tremendous will power, he went on to pursue his academic career...,'' added Narasani. And a career Kalyan has had indeed!

A doctorate from National Law School of India University, Bangalore with research on patent law and medical biotechnology, Kalyan holds a LLM in Intellectual Property, Commerce and Technology from Franklin Pierce Law Center , Concord , USA . He stood second in a class of 182 in his BA, LLB, has co-authored about 20 publications, both Indian and international and is an eloquent speaker at global summits on patent, trade laws and intellectual property management. Not over!

Kalyan ranked second best student advocate of India at the 11th All India Moot Court Competition - Kerala Law Academy Moot Court Trophy in 2000. Same year stood first in Osmania moot court competition. He was the first in class in 15 subjects including intellectual property law, interpretation of law, law of evidence, arbitration and conciliation. He has been the president of the Young Orators Club, PRR Law College Chapter, 1999-2000, president and founding member of the same college moot court society in 2000-2001. And now a visiting faculty to National Law School of India University, Bangalore , apart from running Brain League.