India will produce over five billion doses of Covid vaccines for the country and the world by the end of 2022, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced at the G-20 Summit in Rome, where the grouping met to discuss, among other issues, developments related to the global pandemic.
Addressing the Summit’s first session on global economy and health, Modi pointed to WHO’s delay in granting emergency use authorisation to India’s Covaxin - an acknowledgement at the highest levels of the Indian government that the world health body’s delay tactics may have reasons other than technical inquiries. The big promise on vaccines is seen as a effort to leverage India’s vaccine development capacity to earn friends abroad and present India as a willing and responsible partner in efforts to contain the pandemic.
Briefing journalists, foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said Modi told the G-20 that the WHO’s approval to Covaxin would go a long way in fulfilling India’s commitments because the vaccine would help the developing world reduce the current inequity. Currently, supply and access to vaccines are largely located in the developed world. Modi also pushed for recognition of vaccine certificates to facilitate international travel to move the world towards normalcy.
Shringla said Modi highlighted the fact that India has extended assistance to about 150 countries during the pandemic. He also invited G-20 nations to make India “their partner in economic recovery, supply chain diversification”.
On Sunday Modi joined US President Joe Biden’s programme on supply chain resilience. He also had a meeting with PM of Spain. Modi on Saturday had two formal bilateral meetings - with President Emmanuel Macron of France and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore.
