India ready to produce over 5 billion Covid vaccine doses by 2022 end: PM Modi at G20

Rome: India is ready to produce over 5 billion Covid vaccine doses by the end of next year to help the world in its fight against the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in his remarks at the G-20 meeting here on Saturday, as he highlighted India's contributions to fighting the deadly disease. Briefing reporters on Modi's engagements in Rome, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said the prime minister also stressed on the need for facilitating international travel and spoke about having a mechanism of mutual recognition of vaccine certification as a means for this.

Noting that the WHO approval for the emergency use authorisation for Covaxin, India's indigenous vaccine, is pending, India suggested that a nod for the jab will help India assist other countries.

A technical advisory group of the UN health agency will meet on November 3 to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of Covaxin. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India.

Modi also highlighted India's medical supply to over 150 countries and contribution in maintaining the global supply chain during the pandemic.

He made these remarks during his intervention at the "global economy and global health" session at the G20 meet, Shringla said.

Stressing on the need for resilient global supply chains, Prime Minister Modi spoke about India's bold economic reforms and invited G20 nations to make India their partner in economic recovery and supply chain diversification.

Modi also spoke about "One Earth, One Health" vision in the context of fighting the pandemic and future global health issues, Shringla added.