The negotiations for an India-UK free trade agreement launched on 13th January 2022. Although both countries have apparently agreed to leave aside ‘sensitive’ areas, the UK government’s objectives include to:
- Compete with Indian farmers by securing “comprehensive access for UK agricultural goods into the Indian market”
- Explore rule changes relating to medicine production via “patent provisions which achieve an effective balance between rewarding research and innovation, whilst ensuring access to medicines”
- Lock in rules for India’s fast-growing IT sector by pursuing “a comprehensive digital chapter [and preventing] unjustified data localisation”
This webinar presents experts on three of India’s key sectors: agriculture, affordable medicines and IT. Panellists will explore the potential impacts of a free trade deal on India’s workers, citizens and economy, and the health risks involved in tightening intellectual property rules in the ‘pharmacy of the world’.
The session will be chaired by Gareth Thomas MP, Shadow Minister for International Trade, and we are delighted to welcome the following speakers:
- Ranja Sengupta, Senior Researcher at Third World Network
- KM Gopakumar, specialist lawyer in intellectual property policy
- Parminder Jeet Singh, Executive Director at IT For Change
Presentations will be followed by time for audience questions and discussion.
Watch the recording of this webinar on our YouTube channel
This briefing is the second in an eight-part series exploring the social and environmental impacts of trade policy. Details of further sessions are available at https://www.tjm.org.uk/blog/2022/tjm-launches-briefing-series-on-trade-justice