India rejects EFTA’s data exclusivity demand

New Delhi: India on Thursday said it has rejected the demand of the four European nations (EFTA) bloc for inclusion of a ‘data exclusivity’ provision in proposed free trade agreements (FTAs), stating that it always protects the interests of the domestic generic drugs industry.

Commerce Secretary Sunil Barthwal said there is no Free Trade Agreement (FTA), in which India will go against the generic drug industry. The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) members are Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The bloc is negotiating a trade agreement with India.