Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

UK-India FTA at risk over drug patent dispute

Rishi Sunak will hold talks with Narendra Modi next month

UK-India FTA at risk over drug patent dispute

THE trade deal between the UK and India is facing uncertainty due to disagreements over the former's request for stricter regulations on the manufacturing of affordable generic medicines, reported The Telegraph.

India's negotiators have opposed the proposal to extend drug patents before allowing the production of less expensive alternatives. This proposal aims to protect the interests of pharmaceutical giants against generic rivals.


Disputes related to drug patents, along with India's push for increased visas for nurses and care workers, have cast a shadow over the prospects of an imminent announcement.

At the heart of the dispute over Indian drug patents is the thriving generic drug sector in India, in contrast to the pharmaceutical excellence of the UK. This contrast has led to the development of globally pioneering medications like Covid vaccines.

According to reports, a comprehensive agreement on a free-trade deal might not be reached before the year's end. Prime minister Rishi Sunak is set to travel to India next month for talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi.

The UK is aiming to persuade India to accept what are known as TRIPS-plus arrangements, which provide longer patent protection for drugs than what is typically covered by the international agreements India has endorsed. This information was leaked from a draft of the free trade agreement.

An official from India's commerce ministry stated that the Indian government staunchly opposes the demand for patent term extensions on drugs. The official claimed that it's unlikely the UK will be able to include this demand in the final agreement.

They emphasised India's commitment to ensuring accessibility to cost-effective medications, adding that terms in the trade agreement should not hinder the effective functioning of generic drug producers in the country.

Over 120 health and human rights groups and experts have written to trade secretary Kemi Badenoch, urging her to withdraw the proposals. They argue that these proposals could jeopardise the supply of generic medicines not only to low and middle-income countries but also globally.

Critics of the UK proposals warn of potential repercussions domestically. Approximately 80 per cent of NHS medicines are generics, with about a third originating from India, accounting for a quarter of unbranded medications.

Despite this, officials at Badenoch's trade department dispute these claims. A spokesperson stated, "Medicines, the NHS, and their costs are not, and have never been, part of any trade negotiation. Our aim is to balance innovation and affordable medicine access – this principle remains unchanged."

Ministers clarified that no special treatment will be provided for Indians under the government's skilled worker immigration system.

Indian industry minister Piyush Goyal on Friday (25) said negotiations between India and the UK for the free trade agreement are progressing and both countries are committed to concluding the talks as early as possible.

“We are working hard, we are all committed to a fair, equitable, and balanced trade agreement, respecting each other’s sensitivities, respecting the different levels of developments that both the countries have and respecting the future potential that each country brings to the table,” Goyal said.

(with inputs from PTI)

More For You

Indian court upholds Adani's Mumbai slum revamp contract

Gautam Adani

Indian court upholds Adani's Mumbai slum revamp contract

AN Indian court on Friday (20) dismissed a petition challenging the award of a contract to Adani Group to revamp one of Asia's largest slums in Mumbai, clearing one of the main legal challenges to the ambitious project.

The group led by billionaire Gautam Adani won a $619 million (£494.31m) bid in 2023 to convert the Dharavi slum into a modern city hub, but Dubai-based SecLink Technologies Corporation, winner of a previous tender for the slum revamp, challenged the award of the contract to Adani in a petition in the Bombay High Court in July 2023.

Keep ReadingShow less
October declared Hindu Heritage Month in Ohio, US

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) welcomed the bill’s passage. (Representational image: iStock)

October declared Hindu Heritage Month in Ohio, US

THE OHIO State House and Senate in the US have passed a bill designating October as Hindu Heritage Month.

State senator Niraj Antani, who led the effort, expressed his satisfaction with the bill's passage.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kyle Clifford

During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)

Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family

A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.

Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Peter-Mandelson-Getty

Mandelson, a prominent ally of former prime minister Tony Blair, was instrumental in rebranding the Labour Party in the 1990s. (Photo: Getty Images)

Peter Mandelson to be new US ambassador

VETERAN Labour politician Peter Mandelson has been selected to become the UK's new ambassador to the United States, according to media reports on Thursday. An official announcement is expected on Friday (20).

Mandelson, 71, is set to take up the post in late January, coinciding with US president-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House, the reports stated. This marks the first time in decades that a political appointee, rather than a seasoned diplomat, will hold the position.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kite-making picks up in Gujarat ahead of harvest festival

Kite-making picks up in Gujarat ahead of harvest festival


HUDDLED over piles of colourful paper, Mohammad Yunus is one among thousands of workers in India's western state of Gujarat who make kites by hand that are used during a major harvest festival.

People in Gujarat celebrate Uttarayan, a Hindu festival in mid-January that celebrates the end of winter by flying kites held by glass-coated or plastic strings.

Keep ReadingShow less