<p>Indian drugmaker Shilpa Medicare Ltd has the capacity to manufacture 100-200 million doses of a protein-based vaccine for Covid-19, a company executive told Reuters on Wednesday.</p>.<p>India, the world's largest vaccine producing nation, has been ramping up the production of Covid-19 vaccines and global firms including AstraZeneca, U.S.-based Novavax and Russia's RDIF have signed manufacturing deals with local players.</p>.<p>RDIF, in particular, has already announced deals with six Indian companies to make more than half a billion doses of its Sputnik-V vaccine, including major drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories and several smaller firms.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/maharashtra-has-14-lakh-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-which-will-last-only-three-days-rajesh-tope-971462.html">Maharashtra has 14 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine which will last only three days: Rajesh Tope</a></strong></p>.<p>Shilpa Medicare's shares jumped as much as 10.4% on India's National Stock Exchange following the news. They were last up 9.2%.</p>.<p>Both AstraZeneca's vaccine and RDIF's Sputnik-V are based on the protein-based recombinant technology, which combines the DNA from a virus with bacterial cells to produce proteins that are purified and used in a vaccine.</p>.<p>"For recombinant vaccines, anywhere between 100 and 200 million doses is a fair volume capacity (for Shilpa) ... depending on the vaccine type," Vinay Konaje, managing director of Shilpa Biologicals, a unit of Shilpa Medicare, said in an interview.</p>.<p>Konaje declined to comment on whether Shilpa Medicare could partner with RDIF or any other vaccine developers for manufacturing Covid-19 shots.</p>.<p>Shilpa Medicare was among the Indian companies that could ink Sputnik-V manufacturing deals with RDIF, Fortune India reported last week, citing unnamed industry officials.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-becomes-fastest-covid-19-vaccinating-country-in-the-world-971449.html">India becomes fastest Covid-19 vaccinating country in the world</a></strong></p>.<p>Shilpa makes active pharmaceutical ingredients — the essential components of a drug — at facilities in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, as well as a plant in Austria.</p>.<p>Vaccines for Covid-19 can be manufactured at Shilpa's facility at Dharwad, Karnataka, Konaje said.</p>.<p>Deaths from Covid-19 have crossed 3 million globally, while India is struggling to contain a second wave of the virus that has eclipsed the first.</p>.<p>India has also indicated it would prioritise local vaccine needs, and its foreign minister said last month India had told international buyers as much.</p>
<p>Indian drugmaker Shilpa Medicare Ltd has the capacity to manufacture 100-200 million doses of a protein-based vaccine for Covid-19, a company executive told Reuters on Wednesday.</p>.<p>India, the world's largest vaccine producing nation, has been ramping up the production of Covid-19 vaccines and global firms including AstraZeneca, U.S.-based Novavax and Russia's RDIF have signed manufacturing deals with local players.</p>.<p>RDIF, in particular, has already announced deals with six Indian companies to make more than half a billion doses of its Sputnik-V vaccine, including major drugmaker Dr Reddy's Laboratories and several smaller firms.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/maharashtra-has-14-lakh-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-which-will-last-only-three-days-rajesh-tope-971462.html">Maharashtra has 14 lakh doses of Covid-19 vaccine which will last only three days: Rajesh Tope</a></strong></p>.<p>Shilpa Medicare's shares jumped as much as 10.4% on India's National Stock Exchange following the news. They were last up 9.2%.</p>.<p>Both AstraZeneca's vaccine and RDIF's Sputnik-V are based on the protein-based recombinant technology, which combines the DNA from a virus with bacterial cells to produce proteins that are purified and used in a vaccine.</p>.<p>"For recombinant vaccines, anywhere between 100 and 200 million doses is a fair volume capacity (for Shilpa) ... depending on the vaccine type," Vinay Konaje, managing director of Shilpa Biologicals, a unit of Shilpa Medicare, said in an interview.</p>.<p>Konaje declined to comment on whether Shilpa Medicare could partner with RDIF or any other vaccine developers for manufacturing Covid-19 shots.</p>.<p>Shilpa Medicare was among the Indian companies that could ink Sputnik-V manufacturing deals with RDIF, Fortune India reported last week, citing unnamed industry officials.</p>.<p><strong>Also Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/india-becomes-fastest-covid-19-vaccinating-country-in-the-world-971449.html">India becomes fastest Covid-19 vaccinating country in the world</a></strong></p>.<p>Shilpa makes active pharmaceutical ingredients — the essential components of a drug — at facilities in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, as well as a plant in Austria.</p>.<p>Vaccines for Covid-19 can be manufactured at Shilpa's facility at Dharwad, Karnataka, Konaje said.</p>.<p>Deaths from Covid-19 have crossed 3 million globally, while India is struggling to contain a second wave of the virus that has eclipsed the first.</p>.<p>India has also indicated it would prioritise local vaccine needs, and its foreign minister said last month India had told international buyers as much.</p>