'65-70% of Sputnik-V vaccines produced will come from India', says Indian Envoy to Russia

Amid the unprecedented second wave and shortage of coronavirus vaccine across the country, Sputnik-V is going to start the production of its COVID-19 vaccines by the month of August, confirmed Indian Envoy to Russia DB Venkatesh Varma. 

While speaking to the media, Varma said, "For Sputnik, 150,000 doses plus 60,000 doses supplied to India. By May-end about 3 mn doses will be supplied in bulk. Those will be filled in India. In June, it's expected to increase to 5 mn & production in India expected to start in August."

'Almost 65-70% of Sputnik-V produced will be from India' 

He added, "The present plan is that over 850 million doses of the Sputnik vaccine will finally be produced in India. Almost 65-70% of Sputnik produced anywhere in the world will be from India, finally. "

Explaining the production process, he further said, "Sputnik will be produced in India in 3-phases. First, supply from Russia - fully made - which has already started. Second, RDIF will send to India in bulk. It will be ready for use but it will have to be filled in various bottles in India. Third, the Russian side will transfer the technology to the Indian company & the Indian company will produce it fully in India. All these 3 put together will be about 850 million doses."

"The Russian side has also proposed Sputnik Light. The regulatory approvals for that in India are still not completed. But once those regulatory approvals are given, Sputnik Light will be one more area of cooperation between India and Russia: Indian Envoy to Russia, in St Petersburg," stated Varma. 

He added, "In the last quarter of 2021, the contract will start to be implemented. We have a team in Russia that's part of the training program for the crew that will be operating the systems, they're already in Russia for training."

Meanwhile, the pricing of the Sputnik-V vaccine is expected to come down once the local manufacturing of the vaccine begins, a company spokesperson from Dr. Reddy's Laboratories had said on May 20. At present, the pricing of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine is capped at Rs 948 + 5% GST per dose.

Sputnik-V In India

In April 2021, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) gave approval to Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for the emergency use of Sputnik V. Russia was the first country to have registered for the COVID-19 vaccine, Sputnik V. Developed by the Gamaleya National Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Dr Reddy's and RDIF later in September entered into a partnership to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V.