NEW DELHI – India is set to start sending commercial shipment of doses ofCOVID-19 vaccine to Saudi Arabia and Morocco soon, the Ministry of ExternalAffairs announced in a statement.

“Contractual supplies are being undertaken to Saudi Arabia, South Africa,Brazil, Morocco, Bangladesh and Myanmar,” Anurag Srivastava, Spokesman forthe Ministry, said at a briefing on India’s vaccine cooperation with theinternational community.

He said that in the light of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy India’svaccine production and delivery capacity would be used to serve thehumanity facing coronavirus pandemic.

The foreign ministry spokesperson said that several other countries havealso showed interests to get the vaccine

India started sending vaccines to neighbouring countries as part of its aidon January 20.

“On the first day, 150,000 doses of vaccines were sent to Bhutan asassistance and 100,000 doses to Maldives, also as assistance. Yesterday,supplies of one million doses to Nepal and two million doses to Bangladeshwere undertaken. Today, consignments of 1.5 million doses for Myanmar,100,000 doses to Mauritius and 50,000 doses to Seychelles are beingairlifted,” according to the Ministry Spokesman.

He added that Sri Lanka and Afghanistan are also being provided vaccine.

“It will be ensured that domestic manufacturers will have adequate stocksto meet domestic requirements while supplying abroad. These will be both asgifts as well as on commercial basis.”

The vaccine being exported by India so far have been manufactured by theSerum Institute of India Ltd – the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturer byvolume – which has partnered with AstraZeneca to produce at least onebillion doses of their shot.