Dr. Vinit Bapat is a member of Elevate’s Global IP Advisory Council, where his two-fold role involves helping customers in Japan engage seamlessly with global IP stakeholders and supporting global customers in collaborating effectively with Japanese companies. He provides strategic insights and best practices for navigating cross-border IP systems and understanding Japan’s legal and business culture.

With over three decades of experience in the Japanese IP field, Dr. Bapat has worked as a patent engineer at three leading Japanese law firms. He is also the CEO of Sangam IP, a Japan-based company that assists Japanese organisations with Intellectual Property Rights matters in India.

Dr. Bapat co-authored the Indian Patent Practice Handbook in Japanese (2018, 2023) and in English (2025). He teaches online courses on Indian IP law through the Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA) and has lectured widely through the Japan Intellectual Property Association (JIPA) and at law firms and companies across Japan.

Dr. Vinit Bapat earned his Ph.D. from the University of Tokyo. He is a registered Patent Agent in India and has achieved the highest level, N1, on the Japanese Language Proficiency Test, as well as Grade 1 on the Intellectual Property Translation Proficiency Examination conducted by NIPTA.