India has informed the UN that it will ramp up its production capacity as new Indian vaccines come on stream, emphasising that the supply chains of raw materials must be kept open as Covid-19 vaccines need to reach every corner of the globe. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador TS Tirumurti on Friday said that India has provided medical related assistance and subsequently, vaccines to numerous countries all over the world. “We meet at a time when the Covid crisis is nowhere near the end. However, with the introduction of vaccines, there is hope that we will finally be able to turn the corner,” he said while speaking at the UN General Assembly General Debate of the Second Committee on Crisis, Resilience and Recovery: Accelerating Progress towards the 2030 Agenda.

UK-India co-op on Covishield

UK High Commissioner to India Alex Ellis on Saturday said that he is delighted with UK-India cooperation on Covishield and added that the next step is to increase the flow of people between the two countries as they are desperate to come here. “Those travelling from India can now enter the UK without quarantine,” the High Commissioner said. “The next step is to get people moving between India and the UK. Easing the way for business travellers to come here and opening up more flights can get the flow of people,” he added. Over possible recognition of Covaxin, the High Commissioner said, “We have to look at each process in terms of each vaccine. In turn, we start with the ones who are recognised by a regulator that includes obviously Covishield.”