Kerala plans to sign agreement with RDIF to fill Sputnik V vaccine vials

Kerala may soon enter a deal with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), the country’s sovereign wealth fund, to set up a unit for filling Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine vials, news agency ANI reported.

Kerala industries principal secretary Dr K Ellangovan told news agency ANI that the RDIF has shown interest in the proposal made by the state government through the Russian ambassador to India Nikolay Kudashev. If things go as planned, a Sputnik V manufacturing plant would be established in the state soon.

“We have given two options — one greenfield project in Life Science Park, and, the second, for filling up of vials, which would be immediate. So, there are short-term and long-term projects," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Dr Ellangovan further explained that some modifications are currently being worked out regarding allotment of land. Once they materialised, large quantities of Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccines can be brought to Kerala and vials of the doses can be filled up from the same place. “With regard to the long-term plan of setting up Sputnik V vaccine manufacturing plant, the details are being worked out,” he further told ANI.

Also Read | Sputnik V vaccine effective against new variants of coronavirus: Study

Last week, the Serum Institute of India (SII), which manufactures Oxford AstraZeneca’s vaccine Covishield, announced a partnership with the RDIF to manufacture over 300 million doses of Sputnik V jabs in India – with the production set to commence in September this year.

RDIF CEO Kirill Dmitriev told a virtual news meet that September will be a “key month” for increasing the production of Sputnik V vaccines in India as the SII and many other firms are likely to launch the production by then.

The RDIF has also entered into a partnership with Dr Reddy’s Labs to market the first 250 million doses of the vaccine in India.

The Sputnik V vaccine was launched on a soft pilot basis in India in May. The nationwide launch has now spread to more than 50 cities and towns across the country. The soft launch initially began in Telangana’s capital Hyderabad, and has now scaled up to Bengaluru, Kolkata, Delhi-NCR, Chennai, Navi Mumbai, Patna, Pune, Lucknow, Ranchi, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, and Coimbatore, among others, a Dr Reddy’s Labs said in a statement.