Kanishka Narayan MP appointed Minister with responsibility for IP
Kanishka Narayan MP has been appointed as the new minister with responsibility for intellectual property in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
Mr Narayan, who is Labour MP for Vale of Glamorgan in Wales, takes on the role of Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Minister for AI and Online Safety) following the government's major September reshuffle. He replaces Feryal Clark MP who held the role for just over a year.
The role includes oversight of the UK Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) alongside:
- AI opportunities
- AI Security Institute
- Semiconductors
- Tech for growth
- Online safety
Kanishka Narayan was first elected as an MP in July 2024, becoming Wales' first ethnic minority MP.
Born in Bihar, India, Narayan moved to Cardiff at the age of 12. He studied at Balliol College Oxford and Stanford Graduate School of Business, before working as a senior associate at Lazard and later as Principal at Clocktower Ventures, a venture capital firm specialising in fintech and climate technology. He served as Head of Tech Policy for the Labour Party frontbench, advising shadow ministers across multiple portfolios.
Intellectual Property Office CEO Adam Williams said: "I am delighted to welcome Kanishka Narayan MP as the new Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with responsibility for intellectual property.
“The UK is widely recognised as having one of the world's leading IP systems, and intellectual property plays a crucial role in unlocking the creative and innovative potential across our economy. I look forward to working with Minister Narayan to continue supporting the government's growth mission by helping ensure brilliant ideas are protected, commercialised and supported to thrive.”
Previous ministers with responsibility for IP:
- Feryal Clark MP 2024-2025
- Viscount Camrose 2023-2024
- George Freeman MP 2022-2023
- Dean Russell MP 2022
- George Freeman MP 2021-2022
- Amanda Solloway MP 2020-2021
- Chris Skidmore MP 2019-2020
- Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Jo Johnson) 2019
- Chris Skidmore MP 2018-2019
- Sam Gyimah 2018
- Lord Johnson of Marylebone (Jo Johnson) 2016-2018
- Baroness Neville-Rolfe 2014-2016
- Viscount Younger of Leckie 2013-2014
- Lord Marland 2012-2013
- Baroness Wilcox 2010-2012