After the Prime Minister offered free doses to all adults, it is assumed that India may raise spending on COVID-19 shots by over a quarter this fiscal year to up to 450billion rupees ($6.18 billion) from its budgeted amount.
It has been estimated that the government would spend up to 450 billion rupees on COVID-19 vaccines this fiscal year, which started on April 1. The previously budgeted amount was 350 billion rupees. One of the sources said part of the increase could be due to higher-than-previous costs for domestically manufactured shots. He did not elaborate. India’s finance ministry did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
India is currently using the AstraZeneca vaccine produced by the Serum Institute of India, and another developed at home by Bharat Biotech. Russia’s Sputnik V will be commercially launched in the country in the middle of the month.
PM’s policy shift underscored a drive to rein in a COVID-19 pandemic that has killed hundreds of thousands in India and led to the world’s second-highest tally of infections. It followed weeks of criticism of a bungled vaccine rollout that has covered fewer than 5% of India’s estimated adult population of 950 million.
