As the Government’s move to widen the ambit of the nationwide vaccination programme to include more beneficiaries for inoculation is likely to increase the demand for the jabs, Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech has written to the Centre seeking funds worth Rs 100 crore to ramp up the production of its coronavirus vaccine Covaxin.

Sources said the Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) has also verbally requested for funds from the Government’s Covid Suraksha scheme to increase its production.

The move follows in the wake of the increased demand for vaccines which is expected to go up further after April 1 as the Government has announced that all above 45 years are eligible for Covid-19 jab in the country.

Currently, Bharat Biotech is producing 4 million doses of Covaxin per month at their Hyderabad-based plant. A Government-appointed inter-Ministerial panel on vaccine manufacturing and scaling up of production has reviewed the manufacturing facility of the Indian biotechnology firm.

Similarly, Serum Institute had planned ramping up production to produce 100 million doses of Covishield by March 2021. The inter-Ministerial group had also visited Serum Institute of India’s production manufacturing plant in Pune on March 21 regarding their ramping up of production.

Department of Biotechnology Secretary Renu Swarup has said that the Government is ready to provide assistance under the Covid Suraksha scheme. Swarup emphasised that the scheme is meant to support the research and development of coronavirus vaccines.

Mission Covid Suraksha was launched by the Central Government in November 2020 to help accelerate the development of approximately five-six vaccine candidates and ensure that these are brought closer to licensure and introduction in the market.