There have been recent media reports that the Government of India has privately assured that it will not issue any more compulsory license. It is hereby clarified that such reports are factually incorrect. In this regard, it may be noted that India has a well-established TRIPS compliant legislative, administrative and judicial framework to safeguard IPRs. Under the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement Public Health, each member has the right to grant compulsory licenses and the freedom to determine the grounds upon which such licenses are granted.

Even as Government of India is conscious of the need to spur innovation and protect individual rights, it retains the sovereign right to utilize the flexibilities provided in the international IPR regime It may be noted that to date, there has been only one case of compulsory license in India and that too after a well-thought out and laid down process, which was subsequently upheld right up to the highest Court of the land.

Compulsory licences remain available under TRIPS flexibilities; government affirms it has not agreed to stop issuing them. Media reports claiming the government will stop issuing compulsory licences are incorrect; India retains the right to grant compulsory licences under TRIPS and the Doha Declaration within its established legislative, administrative and judicial IPR framework. The government stresses a balance between spurring innovation and protecting rights while preserving sovereign access to international IPR flexibilities, noting one prior compulsory licence granted after due process and upheld through the courts.