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Second consignment of Russian Sputnik V vaccine lands in Hyderabad

Manipal Hospitals to offer Sputnik V in Bengaluru towards end of June

The second batch of Sputnik V, the Russian vaccine against COVID-19, arrived in India on Sunday, May 16, and landed at the Hyderabad airport on Sunday morning. Sputnik V is the third vaccine in India to receive emergency use approval, besides Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Covishield of the Pune-based Serum Institute of India. Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories has tied up with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) for the vaccine’s distribution in India.

As the second consignment of Sputnik V landed in Hyderabad, Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev said, "A second batch of #SputnikV has landed in Hyderabad today! We are very happy to see that the #RussiaIndia joint fight against #COVID19, which is one of the vital areas of our bilateral cooperation nowadays, has firmly stood on rails & moving forward (sic)." He said that the second delivery has become very timely, asserting that the efficacy of the #SputnikV is well-known in the world.

While terming the development as a "brilliant example of the special and privileged strategic partnership,” he added, "That is indeed a brilliant example of the special and privileged strategic partnership and an effective model of international anti-pandemic cooperation that does not know any unnecessary obstacles.”

Nikolay further stated that the production of the vaccine will be gradually increased up to 850 million doses per year.  He said, "Looking forward to further expanding our bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India to stop the pandemic.  There are plans to introduce a single-dose vaccine soon in India-Sputnik Lite."

Earlier on May 1, India received the first consignment of Sputnik V, which contained 1,50,000 doses. The first dose of the Sputnik vaccine was administered in India on May 14, said Dr Reddy’s, the company that is importing the drug and distributing it across India. The dose was administered in Hyderabad.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories said that the vaccine will be rolled out across "different channels" after getting necessary clearances from the Indian Drug regulatory authorities. It was on April 12, 2021 India approved the Sputnik V and granted an emergency use authorisation.

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