While India is open to conversations on trade and services at the World Trade Organization (WTO), it will not make a binding commitment based on the 'give-and-take' proposed as part of the dialogue. So far, India has taken a balanced approach, relinquishing its position on larger problems concerning present or future pandemics.
Sources have told CNBC TV18 that while India remains open to discussions on the issue of trade and services at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), but will give a binding commitment based on the 'give-and-take' offered as part of dialogue. So far India has maintained a nuanced position by abandoning its stand on bigger issues related to the current or the future pandemics.
Sources indicated that even as developed nations like UK and Switzerland put in concerns with respect to TRIPS negotiations, India didn't block them though it felt that market access on services hasn't proceeded the way it should have.
Sources said that even if India gets the relevant authorisation on market access to services and a TRIPS waiver, the most important feedback from the industry on technology transfer on vaccines needs to be considered as reverse engineering on the same may not be possible like it's done for medicines.
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Pointing to WHO's endorsement of India's paper on TRIPS waiver, sources said that while the industry had objected to India's exemptions to nitrile gloves and Remdesivir but the country still went ahead with its decision to enable access to these vital products to its 1.3 billion plus citizens during the pandemic.
Even as clause by clause discussions took place on the issue of fisheries at the WTO last week, India is hoping to get a win-win outcome while factoring in concerns of a majority of its small fishermen who don't have the capacity to go for deep sea fishing.
Terming per capita fishing in India vis-a-vis other nations as an issue of food security, sources said that the government doesn't want similar challenges for small fishermen which are being faced in agriculture.
Pointing to issuance of fishing bans by the Centre and states during the monsoon to allow for swarming of fishes as part of sustainable goals, sources stressed on the need for fishing stocks to replenish amidst instances of illegal fishing and depleting fishing stocks.
(Edited by : Anand Singha)
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