Despite Monsanto's legal win, biotech firms may defer innovation in India

The Supreme Court judgement, say sources, isn't motivating enough for them to walk the extra mile as, regulatory interference such as capping royalties or unpredictable policies remains a roadblock

Despite a Supreme Court's validation of Monsanto's patent for GM seeds in a landmark judgment on Tuesday, leading bio-tech companies are not keen yet to introduce the new technologies they had put on hold after Monsanto’s GM Cotton controversy surfaced.

The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday that Monsanto’s patent for Bt cotton seeds is valid, overturning a judgment by the Delhi High Court saying items such as seeds, plants and animals can’t be patented under Indian laws. A two-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Rohinton F Nariman, said a lower court will decide if Indian companies infringed