Piyush Goyal defends India's IP record, slams push for 'evergreening' patents

Times of Oman

2 days ago

Bern: Indian Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal defended India's intellectual property practices during a press conference with Swiss journalists on Tuesday, challenging pharmaceutical companies to provide evidence of patent violations while criticizing the practice of "evergreening" patents that he said deprives people of affordable healthcare.
Goyal met representatives from Swiss pharmaceutical industry.
"I asked them a simple question, show me one instance where we have illegally copied any of your trademarks or any patent or any of your copyright technology," Goyal told reporters.
"I was shown none, not one. This is a myth which has been propagated for years," he said.
The minister emphasised India's commitment to respecting intellectual property rights, contrasting the country's approach with what he described as the poor track record of some other nations.
"India is very respectful of intellectual property rights. India is very conscious of its responsibilities, and India is a country known to never, ever steal anybody else's technology," he said.
Goyal drew a clear distinction between respecting valid patents and opposing what he termed "evergreening" - the practice of making minor modifications to extend patent life beyond the original term. He argued that India's position on this issue serves broader humanitarian interests.
"The only thing that India does not permit is evergreening of patents," he explained.
"During the patent life, there is not a single instance of misuse, but after the patent runs out its tenure, there are unfortunately a few companies or players who make very minor modifications and try to get another extended patent life."
The Commerce Minister argued that such practices harm consumers globally, not just in developing countries.
"This is depriving even the Swiss people of affordable healthcare. When you do such evergreening, other than benefiting a few handful large companies, you are causing a loss to billions of citizens, not only in Switzerland, but across the world," he added.
Goyal positioned India's approach as protecting the rights of both innovators and consumers, arguing that companies should be able to recover their research and development investments during the original patent period without indefinitely extending monopolies.
"We in India believe that our people, as they aspire for a better quality of life, as we grow our economy, deserve quality healthcare at affordable prices, as I believe the Swiss people do," he stated.
Goyal reported positive engagement with Swiss pharmaceutical companies during the discussions. He credited industry representatives with providing constructive suggestions that have been implemented in India.
"I must thank the pharma companies of Switzerland for their deep understanding and support to this agreement," the minister said. "They gave me a lot of wonderful suggestions, which I have implemented in India. I've earned their trust."
Goyal expressed confidence about expanding partnerships between Indian and international pharmaceutical companies. He emphasized the mutual benefits of collaboration, particularly India's large domestic market and potential for global expansion.
"I am confident that in the years ahead, the pharma companies of Switzerland or the EFTA countries or other European and American pharmaceutical companies will work with India as partners and enjoy the fruits of this large 1.4 billion market in India," he said.
The minister highlighted how affordable pricing strategies could benefit international pharmaceutical companies by opening new markets while serving humanitarian goals.
"With affordable products, they'll be able to capture global markets, not only for better profits, but also as a service to humanity," the minister said.
Goyal held high-level meetings with Swiss government officials and business leaders to strengthen bilateral trade and investment relationships. The pharmaceutical sector discussions represent a significant component of broader economic cooperation talks between the two countries.
The minister's robust defence of India's intellectual property framework appears to have addressed Swiss industry concerns while establishing clear parameters for future collaboration in the pharmaceutical sector.