The settlement of high risk litigation with Pfizer has come a week after you decided to hand over majority control of your company to Japanese firm Daiichi-Sankyo. Was this a pre-requisite to your negotiations with Daiichi?
Today's announcement of settling all major patent disputes with Pfizer has nothing to do with our decision to sell stakes to Daiichi. Both discussions were running parallel.
Since when have you been in discussions with Pfizer?
We have held discussions on and off in the past, but they picked up momentum in the last couple of months. Ranbaxy is now risk-free. What we have done now is in the best interest of the company.
Why did you fail to reach a settlement in five European countries?
Those are not major markets. What we have achieved is the biggest ever settlement in the history of pharmaceutical industry. Let us not focus on minor issues.