64 foreign envoys take flight to review India's vaccine progress

Heads of Missions from 64 countries are visiting the Bharat Biotech and Biological E Limited in Hyderabad to review the vaccine manufacturing hub. 

The heads of missions will personally see the development work related to the COVID-19 vaccine development and manufacturing.
 

The visit has been organised by the government of India after a briefing by Indian foreign secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on India's vaccine manufacturing capability and potential last month.
 

India had in November briefed 190 heads of the diplomatic mission and international organisations for two hours on its covid-related measures, including on vaccine development.

Bharat Biotech is developing a vaccine called Covaxin in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research.

 
Biological E Ltd is developing a vaccine in collaboration with Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and US-based Dynavax Technologies Corp.
 

The first-such visit by diplomats comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the vaccines being developed in biotech companies across the country. Similar visits are expected to take place in other cities as well.

New cold chain facility in India

Luxembourg-based B Medical Systems has evinced interest in setting up a cold chain facility for COVID vaccine in India by March.
 

Company CEO L Provost said: "Our visit is aimed at transfer of technology from Luxembourg to India and set up manufacturing site here. Gujarat is one of the states where we will be investigating sites for it."
 

J Doshi, the company's deputy CEO, said: "We will manufacture in India and our target is to start a manufacturing unit by March 2021. The states of Telangana and Maharashtra are in touch with us."