Two suppliers have responded to Karnataka government’s global tender to supply COVID-19 vaccines in wake of the dire shortage of vaccines in the state and other parts of the country. It may be recalled that the state government like its counterparts in other states have floated global tender to acquire vaccines as the two Indian manufacturers Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech are not able to meet the demand. It was only earlier this week, the state government announced that the drive for the 18-44 age category will resume, only to modify its decision to allow only the most vulnerable sections in this category.

Both the responses for the global tender have come from suppliers (one from Bengaluru and one from Mumbai) of Russian-made vaccines— Sputnik V and Sputnik Lite, media reports said. Sputnik V, a two-shot vaccine, is already being administered by some private hospitals in the country, while Lite, a single-shot vaccine, is yet to clear the union government’s regulatory approvals.

The Times Of India quoted officials saying that 2 crore vaccines through this tender will be acquired in four batches of 50 lakh each. However, the deals are yet to be finalized as the whole process has to be vetted by the Union government. The TOI further quoted officials stating that companies like Moderna and Pfizer did not respond to the bid as they want to deal with the Union government only. 

The Hindu reported that one of the suppliers--MRO Industrial Supply has even said that they can deliver the first batch of Sputnik V within 14 days of receiving the order. Bengaluru-based Thulasi Systems has said they need a month to start supply. The report, however, said that none of the companies have made a financial bid citing official sources.The report said both the suppliers will be submitting relevant documents to the government as part of the tendering process meant for verification purposes.