Even as the Drugs Controller General of India cleared the Russian Sputnik V vaccine for use in the country, there is still no decision on the price at which the vaccine will be procured by the government.
Price negotiations with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) are yet to be concluded, reports NDTV. The rollout of the new vaccine in India is contingent on the successful conclusion of these negotiations and there are clear indicators that RDIF may not be able to match the price of $2 a dose that the government is presently paying for the AstraZeneca vaccine known as Covishield in India.
At the moment, however, the government has firmly rejected the roll-out of any vaccine at commercial rates, repeatedly stressing that the vaccines need to be made available to priority groups identified by the Centre and at prices which it has set.