2020 has been a year of high turbulence and turmoil. The contagious Coronavirus not only brought the entire world to its heels but also wreaked mass level havoc across all continents. Till date, more than 17 lakh people have died globally due to pandemic, with over 3 lakh in US alone.
Beginning of Vaccination in UK & US is a welcome move and with arrival of more Covid-19 vaccines in near future, the global community will be better prepared and duly equipped to fight off the pandemic.
However, vaccinating a global population of over 7 billion will be no easy task. It calls for an enormous scale of preparations and swift churning of vaccines.
In such challenging times, India will play a critical role in the development and supply of Coronavirus vaccine, says SK Narvar, Chairman, Capital India Corp.
The Capital India Corp Chairman in an exclusive conversation also spoke about India’s role as ‘Vaccine Powerhouse’ in serving low and middle-income nations and why India’s role will be crucial in defeating and eliminating the pandemic.
SK Narvar: There has been a significant deceleration in India’s COVID-19 tally in the period between Unlock 5.0 and Unlock 6.0. And the good news is that this is happening amid increased testing. Early detection has led to improved recovery rates – with the factor attaining ~91% in November. I dare say that we’ve managed to bring the pandemic under control. As the world’s second-most populous country, this was no mean feat. Due credit to our government and the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who made this happen through timely measures and stringent actions.
Q: What role do you anticipate India to play in the global quest for COVID19 vaccine?
SK Narvar: Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pledged his strong commitment to Covax and making Covid-19 vaccines a global public good. Even before the pandemic, India was a “vaccine powerhouse” specializing in affordable exports to low- and middle-income countries.
Currently, more than three coronavirus vaccine candidates are in different stages of human clinical trials in India. To further bolster efforts, the government has announced a stimulus of INR 900 crore COVID Suraksha Mission for the research and development of the Indian COVID vaccine to the Department of Biotechnology. Additionally, Indian vaccine makers moved quickly to form tie-ups with global companies and increase their production. To my mind, there is no doubt that India will play a critical role in worldwide quest for the development and supply of effective coronavirus vaccine.
