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Vaccine exports will boost India’s neighbourhood ties

Tuesday, March 2, 2021

India is exporting sizeable quantities of its locally manufactured COVID-19 vaccines

India has exported more than 36 million doses of locally made coronavirus jabs

Source: Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India; Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; Johns Hopkins Center for Systems Science and Engineering

Outlook

India will look to quicken the pace of its vaccine roll-out, which involves two locally made shots that have secured emergency approval. The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, marketed in India as ‘Covishield’, is being manufactured by the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. ‘Covaxin’, still in late-stage trials, has been developed by the Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech in conjunction with the Indian Council of Medical Research.

Exporting COVID-19 vaccines will help Delhi strengthen relations with countries around the world.

India’s vaccine diplomacy will be especially good for its regional ties; many doses have been gifted as well as sold to other South Asian states and neighbouring Myanmar.

Impacts

  • Ramping up vaccine production should help India increase exports of Covishield and Covaxin while meeting local requirements.
  • Orders for Indian-made vaccines will rise sharply once Covaxin secures approval from regulators abroad.
  • Indian firms will manufacture and export other coronavirus vaccines that become available.

See also