🔐 Protecting India’s Digital Edge: No Source Code Mandates in UK-India Pact

In a major win for India’s IT and software industry, the India–UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has officially excluded any requirement to share source code.

Why does this matter?

🧠 Source code is the brain behind every software. If a company like Infosys develops a world-class banking platform, sharing its code with a foreign buyer could lead to replication, reverse engineering, or even contract loss.

That’s why India successfully negotiated to protect its digital intellectual property. Under the CETA:

No obligation for Indian developers to share source code with UK clients

No forced tech transfers in sensitive sectors

RBI’s concerns over financial data flow were acknowledged and addressed

India’s data protection laws will apply to UK entities accessing Indian data

The UK also agreed to restricted flow of data and open government data sharing — enabling collaborative insights without compromising sovereignty.

This sets a precedent. India isn’t just opening its markets; it’s negotiating from a position of strength to safeguard innovation, data, and tech leadership.

As we move toward a digital future, agreements like this show that smart diplomacy can empower domestic industries while still embracing global cooperation.

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