Ranjna Mehta Dutt
Partner
Experience
Ms. Ranjna Mehta-Dutt is a highly acclaimed Partner at Chadha & Chadha, bringing over three decades of exceptional depth to the firm’s Intellectual Property practice. Enrolled with the Bar in 1992, Ms. Ranjna Mehta-Dutt is a widely recognized pioneer within the Indian IP fraternity, having spent her career spearheading complex patent legal operations and establishing a strong track record in high-stakes portfolio development.
Prior to joining Chadha & Chadha, Ms. Mehta-Dutt spent 25 years at Remfry & Sagar, a firm she joined in 2001 and where she was elevated to the partnership in 2007. During her tenure she spearheaded the Pharmaceuticals & Life Sciences practice there and held executive leadership roles managing critical operational and strategic divisions. Her oversight included Patents Department, Designs Department, and Formality Department. Throughout this period, Ms. Ranjna Mehta-Dutt was personally responsible for developing and managing a highly expansive national and international clientele, which included publicly listed corporations, government-funded and private research institutions, and premier educational universities. Ms. Mehta-Dutt brings this extensive background in departmental management, cross-disciplinary portfolio oversight, and client relations to her role at Chadha & Chadha. She offers strategic legal counsel to a highly diversified roster of global conglomerates, domestic innovators, and research institutions. Her practice is uniquely multifaceted; while she maintains a prominent focus in the Life Sciences, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotech spheres, her comprehensive legal capabilities extend across diverse domains of advanced technology, engineering, and chemical patents. She possesses immense expertise in handling end-to-end patent lifecycles—spanning complex patentability opinions, rigorous freedom-to-operate (FTO) clearability assessments, precision specification drafting, and navigating intricate international (PCT) and national filings.
A seasoned litigator and strategist, Ms. Mehta-Dutt is highly sought after for her sharp acumen in contentious matters, post-grant/pre-grant patent oppositions, cancellations, and complex enforcement strategies. She regularly represents clients before the Indian Patent Office and has successfully managed landmark, high-profile appeals before various judicial forums, including the erstwhile Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB).
Beyond utility patents, she also maintains a robust practice advising clients on the protection and prosecution of design applications, management of plant varieties, and securing regulatory approvals from the National Biodiversity Authority.
As an IP thought leader, Ms. Mehta-Dutt frequently collaborates with governmental bodies on national policy development, shapes academic legal talent by adjudging university moot courts, and regularly speaks at prestigious global IP conferences.
Expertise
Strategic IP Advisory & Portfolio Management (Cross-Disciplinary & Emerging Tech)
Institutional Departmental Oversight (Patent Filing, Formalities, and Statement of Working Compliances)
Pharmaceutical, Life Sciences, and Biotech Patents
Patent Drafting, Prosecution & International (PCT) Applications
Patent Oppositions, Contentious Appeals & Enforcement Litigation
Industrial Designs & Protection of Plant Varieties
Biodiversity Regulatory Compliances (NBA Approvals)
Qualifications
LL.M. (Master of Laws)
LL.B. – Bachelor of Laws
Post Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management
Bachelor’s Degree in Life Sciences
Rankings & Recognitions
Patent Star – Managing IP (2019-2025)
IAM Global Leader – IAM Patent 1000 (2023-2026)
Highly Recommended Professional: Prosecution – IAM Patent 1000 (The World’s Leading Patent Professionals) (2022-2025)
Distinguished Practitioner (Intellectual Property; Pharmaceuticals & Lifesciences) – Asialaw Profiles (2020-2025)
IP Expert: Patents – Asia IP (Top 100 India IP Experts) (2020-2025)
Powerful Women in IP – India – World IP Forum (2021)
Leadership Positions
Former President - APAA Indian Group
Former Chair - APAA 'Group Presidents' Committee
Member, International Patents Committee and International Council- Asian Patent Attorneys Association (APAA)
Member - Women in APAA Committee
Former Member - APAA International Designs Committee & International Patents Committee