The additional vaccines will be produced at a facility in Gujarat

Covaxin production is expected to increase by an additional 200 million doses per annum, taking the effective production by vaccine maker Bharat Biotech up to 1 billion doses per annum.

The ramp up will take place at Chiron Behring Vaccines, Ankleshwar, Gujarat, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bharat Biotech.

“The company plans to produce 200 million doses of COVAXIN per annum in the GMP facilities that are already operational for the production of vaccines based on Inactivated Vero Cell Platform Technology, under stringent levels of GMP and biosafety. Product availability at Ankleshwar to commence from Q4 2021,” a statement issued by Bharat Biotech on Thursday said.

Apart from the Chiron Behring plant in Ankleshwar, Covaxin is also being produced at the campuses of Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Bengaluru.

“This effectively takes the volumes up to 1 Billion doses per Annum, with its own established campuses specialized for manufacturing inactivated viral vaccines under the highest levels of biosafety,” the statement read.