The rate at which India has exported the Covid-19 vaccines has been revealed. A Right To Information (RTI) document has revealed the price of the vaccines that the country had exported to almost 47 countries in the world. As per the RTI reply given to a Nagpur-based activist, it has been revealed that India has exported the vaccines at a cheap rate. The RTI query was raised by a Nagpur based lawyer.
The reply was given by Arun Kumar, the Under Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). The Ministry explained that the vaccines were supplied as ‘grant’ and ‘contractual supplies’ under the Covax facility.
The government also made it clear that, the prices of other supplies undertaken by the manufacturers in accordance with their commercial agreements are not available with the government.
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“For grant supplies, vaccines were procured at a rate of Rs 200/dose plus GST from Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd (SII-Pune) and at a rate of Rs 295/dose from Bharat Biotech International Ltd (BBIL), in accordance with the authorization given by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MHFW),” the MEA’s RTI reply stated.
“As per the data supplied till April 10, the Centre has already exported a total of 6.37 crore doses to 89 countries. This constitutes 1.03 crore doses at Rs 200+GST rates, and the rest 3.44 crore doses at commercial rates. For the same doses, now the Centre has allowed the same companies to levy double the rates in the Indian markets,” Adv Ajmera told a news agency.
Till April 27, the number of beneficiary countries has gone up to 95 and the total doses supplied are 6.63-crore, including 1.07 crore as grant Rs 200/dose+GST), and the rest 3.57 crore doses as per commercial agreements. Bangladesh has got the major share of 1.03 crore doses, including 33-lakh doses as ‘grant’ and the rest commercially. Myanmar got 17-lakh doses, followed by Nepal (11-lakh).
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