India’s Vaccine Diplomacy

Context: India, which is the largest producer of vaccines globally, is the country to which fellow developing countries are turning to meet their urgent needs.

Potential Strength of Indian in pursuit of Vaccine Diplomacy

• Reducing number of cases: With the recoveries rising, the cases are reducing.
• Economic certainties: The contraction in India’s GDP in the current financial year has been estimated at a manageable 7.4%.
• Largest vaccine producer of the world: With India having developed vaccines, fellow developing countries are looking towards India.
  • While initial exports were scheduled for Bangladesh, Saudi Arabia and Morocco,
  • Commitments have also been made to The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) neighbours like the Maldives, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal.
• Largest immunisation: India has set itself the target of immunising 300 million of its citizens by July, from its AstraZeneca and Bharat Biotech Industries.
• Unity and determination - with which India responded to the Chinese aggression; India expects de-escalation of tensions on borders based on ‘mutual and equal security’.

Conclusion:  India can earn the long-term goodwill of its immediate neighbours and strengthen relations with other countries in the extended neighbourhood, across the Indian Ocean through vaccine diplomacy.