Covaxin Manufacturing Capacity Expected To Reach 10 Crore Doses Per Month By September 2021: Govt

The government on Saturday (15 May) said that the production capacity of India's indigenous Covid-19 vaccine Covaxin is expected to reach over 10 crore doses per month by September this year.

"Under Atmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 Mission COVID Suraksha was announced by the Government of India, to accelerate the development and production of Indigenous COVID Vaccines. This is being implemented by Department of Biotechnology, Governemtn of India at Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), New Delhi," the Science and Technology Ministry said on Saturday.

"To augument the capacity of Indigenous production of Covaxin under the Mission, theDepartment of Biotechnology, Government of India in April, 2021 provided financial support as Grant to vaccine manufacturing facilities for enhanced production capacities, which is expected to reach more than 10 crore doses per month by September, 2021," the ministry said in a statement.

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, the ministry said.

Financial support is being provided as grant from the government to the tune of approximately Rs 65 crore to Bharat Biotech’s new Bangalore facility which is being repurposed to increase the capacity of vaccine production, it added.

The Mumbai-based Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation is a State public sector enterprise under Maharashtra govt. The Centre is providing a financial support of Rs 65 crore as grant to Haffkine to make it ready for manufacturing the Covaxin. The facility will have a capacity of 20 million doses per month, once functional.

Further, Hyderabad-based Indian Immunologicals Limited (IIL), a facility under National Dairy Development Board, is being provided a grant of Rs. 60 crore for vaccine production.

Meanwhile, UP's Bulandshahr-based Bharat Immunologicals and Biologicals Limited (BIBCOL), a central PSE under Department of Biotechnology, is being supported with a grant of Rs 30 crore to prepare their facility to provide 10-15 million doses per month.

Further, Gujarat Biotechnology Research Centre along with Hester Biosciences and OmniBRx has also firmed up discussions with Bharat Biotech to scale up the COVAXIN technology and to produce minimum 20 million doses per month, the statement said.

Technology transfer agreement have been finalised with all manufacturers, it added.