India approves 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Canada

New Delhi: India on Wednesday approved one million doses of COVID-19 vaccines for Canada. The development comes days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to his Canadian counterpart Justin Trudeau.

During the talks, PM Modi assured the Canadian PM of COVID-19 vaccine supplies. A readout from PMO office said during the talks Trudeau informed PM Modi about "Canada's requirements of COVID-19 vaccines from India" to which the latter "assured...that India would do its best to support Canada's vaccination efforts, just as it had done for many other countries already".

Later in response to a question in a presser Canadian PM said that his country is "looking at possible extra vaccines coming from India from the Serum Institute". India, which produces 60 per cent of global vaccines, has sent COVID-19 vaccines to more than 20 countries.

The COVID-19 vaccine support from New Delhi to Canada comes even as ties were frayed over comments by Canadian PM on the ongoing farmers' protests in India in December 2020. The comments had drawn a strong reaction from India who had lodged a strong protest by summoning the Canadian envoy to Delhi, Nadir Patel, and handing over a demarche that such comments could impact the bilateral ties.