Is India the key to ending coronavirus?

With new strains of the virus emerging, and much of Europe back under lockdown, it seems that the only real end to the pandemic will come with widespread rollout of the vaccine.

Manufacturing more than 60% of vaccines sold around the world, India’s pharmaceutical sector is worth around $40 billion. The country is a key player in the largest mass vaccination programme ever. Although India does not currently produce the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, it manufactures eight reasonably priced vaccines, including the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, Covishield.

Despite reports that India would ban exports of the vaccine, the country is set to begin exporting the vaccines within the next two weeks – and will be exported to neighbouring countries. It will be crucial in vaccinating the developing world against Covid.

Gaurav Singh, Founding Partner at JPIN VCATS, the biggest UK-India investment platform, comments on the importance of India’s pharmaceutical hub:

“India is one of the world’s fastest growing economies, and pharmaceuticals is a huge part of that. The importance of the Covid vaccine in ending the pandemic is a great opportunity for India, and a chance for the world’s sixth largest economy to grow even further.

India is set to be a powerhouse going forward, and the focus drawn by the pharmaceutical industry will allow the country’s other industries to shine. It highlights the great opportunities for investment in the country, particularly in medtech and biotech. Other sectors for investment include hard security, fintech, open internet initiatives, and