Despite the world joining hands to find a Covid-19 vaccine, all eyes are on India, the vaccine manufacturing powerhouse.
India produces 60 per cent of the world’s vaccines and accounts for 60-80 per cent of the annual production of the UN vaccines. Over the years, a number of Indian companies have also helped in the manufacture and distribution of vaccines to the world.
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told The Times of India last month that the United States and India are working together on Covid-19 therapies and vaccines.
Currently, it is not just top vaccine makers like Bharat Biotech. India’s Serum Institute (SII) and Zydus who are racing to create a coronavirus vaccine. Also mid-rung companies like Premas Biotech based in Gurugram, Hester Biosciences based in Ahmedabad. In addition, start-ups like Neuberg Supratech and Mynvax have joined the initiative as well.
Bhan added India would help lower the price of these vaccines. “India would be the only country to sell at the lowest possible price. Its ability to mass-produce is the cause,” he said. “The fair price will be the key factor in ensuring access for the Covid-19 vaccine worldwide.”
An Established Wide Global Network
What works in India’s favor in the search for a vaccine is that main players in the global vaccine industry are a number of Indian firms.
The Pune-based SII is the largest vaccine maker in the world. It shows by the number of doses produced and sold globally. The 50-year-old company generates 1.5 billion doses annually, mainly from its two facilities in Pune.
A variety of vaccines such as measles, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and BCG (Bacillus Calmette – Guérin) are specialized in it. According to the company, its vaccines are used for their national immunization programs in about 170 countries across the globe.
