Balancing Trade Secret Protection and Whistleblower Safeguards: Legal Challenges and Reform Imperatives in India

Abstract

In India, the growing tension between protecting trade secrets, which drive innovation, and supporting whistleblowers must not impede vital public welfare disclosures, requiring a balanced approach to foster corporate progress and ethical accountability. This paper analyzes the effectiveness of Indian law, particularly the Whistle Blowers Protection Act of 2014, through a mixed-method approach of doctrinal analysis and a survey of 325 respondents, which includes researcher/academician, legal professionals and corporate executives. It evaluates current legal gaps and perceptions regarding the balance between trade secret protection and whistleblower rights. Global frameworks like the Defend Trade Secrets Act, 2016, Dodd-Frank Act, 2010, and the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive, 2019 and other relevant legislations have been examined for their relevance to India. The study advocates for an independent statutory agency to mediate between trade secret holders and whistleblowers, adjudicate disputes, and protect public interest disclosures. Drawing from international cases such as Waymo v Uber, Enron, and Volkswagen, the paper proposes legal reforms and impartial oversight mechanisms to support ethical disclosures without compromising confidentiality