Pune, India - The tiny clinking vials supervised by silent PPE-wearing technicians belie the excitement inside the world's largest vaccine manufacturer, the Serum Institute of India, a major player in the fight against coronavirus.
It is also significantly cheaper than the vaccines developed by Pfizer or the US firm Moderna, making it better suited for countries with poorer populations and rusty infrastructure. The Serum Institute soon became a market leader thanks to its cheap and effective drugs, which were eagerly sought after by price-conscious governments and consumers, prompting the company to expand at a dizzying rate.
From Brazil to South Africa, there is no shortage of customers, with governments clamouring to buy Covishield. Even a deadly fire at an under-construction building this week failed to dent confidence, with Poonawalla promptly tweeting that"there would be no loss of #COVISHIELD production due to multiple production buildings that I had kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies".