Budget 2018-19

  India is, however, not officially banning Covid-19 vaccine exports. “This is a temporary move until the supply situation stabilises in the country,” said a person close to the development India has put a temporary hold on all major exports of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine made by Serum Institute of India (SII), the world’s biggest vaccine-maker, to meet domestic demand as infections rise, multiple sources confirmed. A person close to the development said that in the light of rising demand for Covid-19 vaccines, the health ministry has conveyed to SII that it should prioritise deliveries to the government of India over export commitments. The entire production of 60 million doses in April will be supplied to the government. India is, however, not officially banning  Covid-19 vaccine  exports. “This is a temporary move until the supply situation stabilises in the country,” said the person. Covid vaccine inventories have hit a low at places like Mumbai, and the gover...

  Modi said over 300 mn citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 25 mn people who have received them in over 50 countries in around a month so far. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday that the central government will bear the expenses of vaccinating nearly three crore healthcare and frontline workers in the first round and suggested that public representatives, a reference to politicians, should not be part of this initial exercise. Interacting with state chief ministers, Modi underscored the enormity of what he described as the world’s biggest vaccination exercise, which begins from January 16, saying over 30 crore citizens will get the jabs in the next few months in India against only 2.5 crore people who have received them in over 50 countries in around a month so far. The two already approved made-in-India COVID-19 vaccines are more cost-effective than any other in the world and have been developed as per the country’s needs, he said ...

  Air India, GoAir, IndiGo and SpiceJet will carry the shots Over 14 tonnes of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines will be flown from Pune in ten flights on Tuesday. The government inked a contract with Serum Institute of India (SII) for 11 million doses and these would be flown out of Pune in the first phase. SpiceJet will carry the first batch of doses from Pune in its 8 am Delhi flight. While the first flight will carry around 700 kilograms of vaccine, the airline is also using its freights to transport the shots to Kolkata, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, and Vijayawada. Air India will be transporting vaccines on its Pune-Ahmedabad flight on Tuesday morning, the airline’s executive director (cargo) Nirbhik Narang confirmed. “Along with Pune, we will also be transporting vaccines from Mumbai. We are fully prepared,” he added. Vaccines will also be carried on IndiGo’s flights from Pune to Chandigarh and on GoAir’s flight to Chennai and Lucknow. While Pune airport will see the bulk of t...