Interacting with domestic vaccine manufacturers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today praised their efforts which have resulted in the country crossing the milestone of 100 crore vaccinations.

He said they have played a big role in the ”success story” of India and appreciated their hard work during the pandemic.

Modi was of the view that the country needed to institutionalise the best practises learnt during the last one and a half years, and said this was an opportunity to modify the practises, in tune with the global standards.

He said that the entire world was looking up to India, in the backdrop of the success of the vaccination drive. He also said that the vaccine manufacturers should continuously work together to be ready to face future challenges.

The domestic vaccine manufacturers appreciated the vision and dynamic leadership of the Prime Minister in providing continuous guidance and support towards the development of the vaccines.

They also praised the never before seen collaboration between the government and the industry, and applauded the regulatory reforms, simplified procedures, timely approvals, and forthcoming and supportive nature of the government throughout this endeavour.

They noted that had the country been following old norms, there would have been considerable delay and they would not have been able to reach the vaccination level that has been attained till now.

Serum Institute of India (SII) CEO Adar Poonawala praised the regulatory reforms brought out by the government. Cyrus Poonawalla praised the leadership of the Prime Minister throughout the course of the pandemic.

Krishna Ella thanked Modi for having taken Covaxin, and for the continuous support and motivation during its development. Pankaj Patel thanked the Prime Minister for talking about the DNA based vaccine in the UN General Assembly. Mahima Datla commended the vision of the Prime Minister which helped the country attain the vaccination milestone.

Sanjay Singh talked about the importance of innovation and backward integration in the field of vaccine development. Satish Reddy appreciated the collaboration between the government and the industry throughout this endeavour and Rajesh Jain praised the continuous communication by the government throughout the pandemic.

Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Health Bharati Pravin Pawar were also present at the interaction.