Welcoming the reported willingness of the DCGI to hold talks again on the contentious issue of FDCs, the industry associations said they were also keen to amicably settle the issue instead of long-drawn battles in the courts.

"If we get an invite from the DCGI, we are more than happy to discuss the issue again, instead of fighting it out through the courts,'' said Confederation of Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (SSI) co-chairman P K Gupta. CIPI had won the stay from the Chennai High Court against the operation on the DCGI order on the weeding out of irrational combinations.

He, however, said they came to know of DCGI's willingness for talks only through the media and they would wait for the formal invite from the drug controller. It may be recalled that Dr M Venkateshwarulu had told Pharmabiz that he was ready for talks with the industry again.

A leader of the IDMA also echoed the same feeling that they were also interested in talks to settle the issue instead of protracted court fights and wasting of time both for the industry and the authorities.

At the same time, the CIPI leader said they were also waiting for the decision of the High Court on the counter affidavit filed by DCGI seeking to vacate the stays. The court is likely to take up the case by the end of this month after the break for Pongal festival.

"Anyway, we are determined to take the fight ahead if the stay is vacated by the High Court. We will definitely move the Supreme Court in that case,'' he said.

The DCGI had disclosed that he would move the Supreme Court in the case of an adverse decision from the High Court on the issue. However, he welcomed the industry to come to the authorities for talks.

The DCGI had already held a meeting with all the industry associations sometime back at Chandigarh. But it failed to break the deadlock, prompting the CIPI to go to the High Court and winning the stay while the DCGI filed caveats in key states like Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh, pre-empting further stay orders.