Coronavirus: India to increase Covaxin production to 10 crore doses per month by September 2021

New Delhi, Apr 16: Amid increasing coronavirus cases in India, the government, under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 Mission COVID Suraksha, urged the vaccine producers to accelerate the development and production of indigenous COVID-19 vaccines. This is being implemented by Department of Biotechnology Government of India.

Under this mission, the Department of Biotechnology is providing financial support as grant to vaccine manufacturing facilities for enhanced production capacities. The current production capacity of indigenously developed Covaxin vaccine will be doubled by May-June 2021 and then increased nearly 6-7 fold by July - August 2021.

This increases the production from 1 crore vaccine doses in April, 2021 to 6-7 crore vaccine dose/month in July - August. It is expected to reach nearly 10 crore doses per month by September 2021.

Earlier, inter-ministerial teams had visited the sites of two main vaccine manufacturers in India to get their inputs on how production can be ramped up. In this period, there have been extensive reviews and feasibility studies on the plans being discussed with vaccine manufacturers.

As a part of this augmentation plan, capacities of Bharat Biotech Limited, Hyderabad as well as other public sector manufactures are being upgraded with required infrastructure and technology.

Financial support is being provided as grant from the governemnt to the tune of approx Rs 65 crore to Bharat Biotech's new Bangalore facility which is being repurposed to increase the capacity of vaccine production.

As many as three public sector companies are also being supported to increase the capacity of vaccine production.

Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai -a State PSE under State Govt of Maharashtra. Financial support as grant from the government to the tune of approx Rs 65 crore will be provided for this facility to be made ready for manufacturing.

The Haffkine Biopharmaceuticals Ltd had asked for around 12 months to complete this task.

However, the Central government has asked them to expedite and complete the task urgently within 6 months. The facility will have a capacity of 20 million dozes per month, once functional.

Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), Hyderabad - a facility under National Dairy Development Board and Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), Bulandshahr a CPSE under Department of Biotechnology, GOI will also be supported to prepare there facility to provide 10-15 million dozes per month by August-September 2021.