Prathiba has created a virtuous circle: using her Cambridge education to trailblaze in the Indian legal community and then contribute forward, inspiring others to do the same. In her words, the Prathiba M Singh Scholars “are feeding into the Indian legal system, which is what the scholarship is meant for. You need to learn at the best institution in the world and then bring your experiences back to your country. The motivation for the scholarship is these deserving young students, plus our family’s intention to give back what we've earned. To that extent, this scholarship has really [satisfied] our goal in giving, and I'm very happy about that.”

For over 700 years, the Cambridge Faculty of Law has produced exemplary legal scholars of an outstanding calibre. Prathiba M Singh is one of these, having completed a Master of Laws degree in 1992 after earning her Bachelor of Laws from India’s Bangalore University in 1991. A founding partner with her husband, Maninder Singh of Singh & Singh Advocates, Prathiba was recognised as the ‘Best Woman IP Litigator in Asia’ at the Euromoney Asia Women in Business Law Awards 2012. She was one of India’s leading IP litigators and was designated Senior Advocate by the Delhi High Court in 2013, the first time an IP practitioner had been elevated to this role.

Postgraduates: the lifeblood of the University’s mission and critical to our future

The Faculty of Law at Cambridge is one of the world’s leading centres of excellence in legal research and teaching, and graduate students at the Faculty of Law bring fresh perspectives, critical insights and innovative ideas to the study of law. This postgraduate work is a vital step in developing the top legal scholars of the future, whose expertise is fundamental in maintaining the legal frameworks that underpin our societies. But with inadequate funding available for even the best students to take up their places to study law at a postgraduate level, philanthropic support like the Prathiba M Singh Cambridge Scholarship is needed more than ever.

Prathiba has made significant contributions to academic literature and legal developments in Indian IP law, both as a practising lawyer and as an advisor to several legislative committees. She was a counsel in landmark Indian patent decisions, notably the 2013 judgement rejecting Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis’ patent on its cancer drug Glivec, where she represented Indian drug makers Cipla and Ranbaxy. This judgement was significant for the interests of the larger patient community, essentially restricting the practice of applying for variation patents (where there is just a minor adjustment made to the formulation) and instead encouraging genuine innovation and enhancement of therapeutic efficacy.

A broader vision: international exposure for deeper experience

One of her proudest achievements is the Scholarship set up in her family’s name to promote excellence in education for lawyers.

According to Prathiba: “I believe that a postgraduate education in law instils in you the spirit to excel among extremely competent peers from various countries.

“My own life would have been completely different if not for the postgraduate scholarship that I was awarded to study in Cambridge. My family could not have afforded LLM education. The Cambridge Trust came as a 'Santa Claus' to me and enabled me to pursue the LLM in 1991. For this, I am eternally grateful. Gratitude is the seed of this Scholarship.

“Virtually all the 21 past Scholars are now working in India either in law firms or chambers, and it is my fervent hope that they will raise the standards in the legal profession and give back to society in future.... It [has been] wonderful to meet them and to see them [go] from nervous young students to extremely competent professionals.”

This passionate spirit of commitment to Indian legal excellence was affirmed early in 2025 at a Cambridge event to celebrate ten years of Prathiba M Singh Cambridge Scholarship recipients and launch a dedicated Scholarship website.

On this milestone occasion, Prathiba reflected that: “India has built its legal system on what the British left as a legacy. Being a common law country, we use British cases, British judgements, and UK law as our references, and to this day, that inspiration hasn’t changed. The contribution of British legal scholarship to India is immense. It is a permanent, and growing, influence—enhanced by the knowledge exchange and interpersonal relationships developed between Indian institutions and between Cambridge and India.”

Prathiba also shared what her time at the Collegiate University gave her personally and professionally:

“Cambridge brought me out of my shell from a close-knit family in Bangalore. I met so many students from so many countries and made friends I still have today. The environment at Cambridge builds valuable relationships, which is part of growing up as a person. And my studies here opened my vision to see a much bigger world that I could truly be a part of. I learned to look at legal issues with an international perspective, and this informs my legal judgements today; I consider the issues very broadly and then apply them specifically to my own country. It was life-changing.”

According to Professor Tim Harper, Head of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Cambridge: “50 per cent of taught master’s courses at Cambridge take place within the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. It’s so important to widen participation in these opportunities. The Prathiba M Singh Scholarship has been an inspiration to successive generations of scholars for over ten years and has created a unique community of current and former Scholars.”

Professor Bhaskar Vira, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Education and Environmental Sustainability, added that, “The strong connections between India and this University for decades and generations have had an enormous impact both in India and internationally. This deep relationship has created a pipeline of talent, and today we celebrate this shared past as we look to the future and express our immense gratitude to Prathiba for her continued loyalty and support for Cambridge.”

Impact of the scholarships: where are they now?

Ansh Singh Luthra, Founding Partner, A&N Law Offices, is an advocate practising at the High Court of Delhi. A&N Law Offices’ practice spans white collar crime, property litigation, regulatory and policy matters, and arbitration. Ansh writes about practical litigation strategy in his monthly column ‘Inside the Courtroom’ in Lawyer’s Update Magazine. He also raises legal issues of larger public and national interest at different public fora and on national television. “My year at Cambridge was nothing short of a dream. I chose to study niche subjects such as Privacy Law and Legal and Political Philosophy alongside traditional subjects that I loved, such as Intellectual Property Law. The LLM programme at Cambridge was rigorous and enlightening. It was a competitive environment designed to foster learning and intellectual growth. Having returned to India, I am building on my experience and learning.”

After graduating from Cambridge in 2020, Surabhi Lal moved back to New Delhi and re-joined the Dispute Resolution practice at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas and Co. She is currently working there as a Principal Associate and deals with domestic and international arbitrations and related litigations. She represents clients before the Supreme Court of India, the Delhi High Court and arbitral tribunals. She has also been conducting short courses and workshops for undergraduate students of law at National Law University, Delhi, on arbitration, copyright, mediation and negotiation. Surabhi says: “My experience at Cambridge was no less than a dream come true. It was much more than an academic endeavour. It entailed a holistic experience which has not only refined my analytical abilities but also impacted my personality. The brilliant guidance and enriching discussions with the world-renowned faculty members were much more enlightening than I expected. The opportunity to discuss and deliberate with the finest students from all around the world provided deeper insights into legal issues and unique comparative law perspectives.”

Academic excellence, knowledge exchange, and personal growth

The common word in these personal messages? ‘Dream’. The impact of Prathiba Singh’s philanthropy was—and continues to be—to help these budding scholars’ dreams come true, inspiring them with a love for the law and a desire to serve their country in a range of impressive roles and ways. For the academic year 2025-26, two more deserving scholars have been chosen to pursue the LLM programme. The Scholarship continues a grand tradition of Cambridge excellence, and a powerful partnership linking Cambridge and India for today and tomorrow.