Necessary that WHO approves Indian vaccines at the earliest: PM Modi at G-20

India is ready to produce over 5 billion Covid vaccine doses next year to help the world in the fight against the pandemic, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the G-20 summit in Rome on Saturday and asserted that it was necessary that the WHO approves Indian vaccines at the earliest.

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Foreign Secretary Harsh Sringla said the prime minister conveyed that India has not only administered one billion doses but it is ready to produce over 5 billion Covid-19 doses next year which will be available to Indian citizens but also the rest of the world.

He also added that it is India's own contribution to reducing vaccine inequities, especially in the developing world.

PM's stress on WHO approving Indian vaccines comes ahead of a meeting of the technical advisory group of the UN health agency on November 3 to conduct a final "risk-benefit assessment" for Emergency Use Listing of Covaxin.