Union Minister for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday underlined the nation’s resolve that India’s deep research and development capacities, and the industrial ecosystem will be further strengthened to be ready to respond to any future pandemic.

Singh discussed India’s Pandemic preparedness for future and on the occasion, Member NITI Aayog, Dr Vinod Paul presented to the Union Minister, a Report on the subject prepared by the NITI Aayog and titled “Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response: A Framework for Action”.

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The report prepared by an Expert Group constituted by NITI Aayog covers recommendations on future pandemic preparedness with special focus on developing medical countermeasures, specifically, diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics. It outlines the action pathways to deploy medical countermeasures within 100 days of any future pandemic outbreak.

This would require scaling manufacturing capacities, creating forward and backward linkages, enabling regulatory systems and demonstrating capabilities.

The Union Minister discussed how to mobilise the Research & Development team and Infrastructure along with the Industry to work on potential pathogens and prototype vaccines in a strategic, scientific and proactive way across departments and other stakeholders. India’s inter-sectoral One Health Mission has already revamped the pandemic surveillance systems for potential outbreaks.

It was noted that in the course of COVID-19 pandemic, India administered more than 220 crore doses of made-in-India vaccines to its citizens, and shared vaccines with more than 100 countries. Indian vaccines utilised practically all the platforms including mRNA, DNA, Adeno-viral and inactivated virus systems. Drugs made in India were exported across the world. Nearly 250 made-in-India COVID-19 diagnostic tests were approved. All this demonstrates our strong Scientific-Industrial potential.

Much of the success during the COVID time, including the Vaccine success story, said Dr. Singh, was attributable to the coordinated and collective effort across the departments with a “whole of government” approach in the true sense and, personal intervention and patronage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who launched a dedicated research and trial programme called “Mission Suraksha” and then personally followed it up on day to day basis.

The Report has been showcased by the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat in its recent “100 Days Mission: Implementation Report 2024”.