India will produce 259 crore doses of various Covid-19 vaccines by the end of 2021, Union Minister of State for Home G. Kishan Reddy said on Thursday.
He claimed that the Centre is making all efforts to ramp up vaccine production in the country and exuded confidence that by December the monthly production of Covid vaccines will go up to 59 crore doses.
The minister told reporters after visiting government-run ENT Hospital here that 16 companies will manufacture the vaccines in the country.
“Three companies have already started production while some more will start manufacturing by August-September,” he said.
He said Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin formula has been shared with five companies which will manufacture the vaccine to meet the demand. While Dr Reddy’s Laboratories will manufacture Sputnik V under a pilot, a total of seven companies in India will be manufacturing the Russian vaccine.
He said Biological E will soon start production of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine in the country. “If Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes, one dose will be enough. Other vaccines will be available in two doses while Zydus Cadila’s vaccine will have three doses,” he said.
Reddy revealed that the Centre has made arrangements for production of 8.80 crore vaccines in May. This number will go up to 10 crore in June, 17 crore in July, 19 crore in August and 42 crore in September.