India leads global vaccine output, can anchor next-gen epidemic preparedness: Dr Jitendra Singh
Synopsis
India supplies nearly 60% of the world's vaccines and meets over 65% of WHO's routine immunisation needs — and a high-level CEPI governance meeting in New Delhi, the first in a decade, signals that global health institutions are increasingly looking to India not just as a manufacturer but as a strategic architect of pandemic preparedness.
Key Takeaways
Dr Jitendra Singh addressed the CEPI Board and Investors Council in New Delhi on 13 September 2026 .
India accounts for nearly 60% of global vaccine production by volume and supplies vaccines to more than 100 countries .
India meets over 65% of the WHO 's routine immunisation requirements.
India's bioeconomy reached $195.3 billion in 2025, with 18% year-on-year growth .
The biotech startup ecosystem expanded to 11,855 startups , including 1,780 new ones in 2025.
The biopharma sector contributes nearly 30% of India's total bioeconomy.
India has cemented its position as the world's largest vaccine producer and a dominant global supplier, with Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh asserting on Sunday, 13 September 2026, that the country's expanding scientific capabilities and diverse disease landscape make it uniquely placed to lead next-generation epidemic preparedness. Addressing a high-level reception for the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) Board and Investors Council in New Delhi, Singh said India has built a robust bioeconomy and vaccine development ecosystem capable of shaping global health security.
Why the CEPI Meeting in India Matters
The event, jointly hosted by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and CEPI at the India International Centre, brought together CEPI leadership, Board and Investors Council members, policymakers, scientists, and industry representatives. Notably, the CEPI Board and Investors Council governance meeting was held in India for the first time in a decade — underscoring a deepening institutional partnership between India and the global epidemic preparedness body.
Singh highlighted that India has been a founding member and long-standing strategic partner of CEPI since its formative years, and acknowledged the scientists and institutions instrumental in building the country's vaccine and biomedical capabilities.
India's Bioeconomy: Scale and Growth
According to Singh, India's biotechnology landscape has undergone a sweeping transformation. The country's bioeconomy reached $195.3 billion in 2025, registering 18 per cent year-on-year growth. The biotech startup ecosystem expanded to 11,855 startups, including 1,780 new startups established during 2025 alone. The biopharma sector accounts for nearly 30 per cent of India's total bioeconomy — a reflection of how central life sciences have become to the country's economic architecture.
Vaccine Dominance: The Numbers Behind the Claim
India currently supplies vaccines to more than 100 countries, accounts for nearly 60 per cent of global vaccine production by volume, and meets more than 65 per cent of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s routine immunisation requirements, Singh said. These figures position India not merely as a low-cost manufacturer but as a structural pillar of global public health infrastructure.
The minister noted that India has moved well beyond its traditional reputation as a producer of affordable generics, developing capabilities that now span advanced biologics, clinical development, innovation pipelines, and large-scale manufacturing — a qualitative shift that critics and analysts have increasingly acknowledged.
From COVID-Era Producer to Global Preparedness Leader
Singh said India has moved far beyond the constraints it faced a decade ago in epidemic preparedness, citing a vibrant bioeconomy and a scientific ecosystem with genuine global reach. This comes amid renewed international focus on pandemic preparedness frameworks following the COVID-19 experience, with institutions like CEPI playing a central coordinating role in ensuring equitable access to vaccines during future outbreaks.
As CEPI deepens its engagement with India, the question of whether New Delhi can translate manufacturing scale into research leadership — setting global standards for the next epidemic response cycle — will define the next chapter of India's role in global health governance.
Point of View
Which is a harder leap. The bioeconomy's $195.3 billion valuation and 18% growth are impressive, but much of it remains concentrated in biopharma generics rather than original biologics or novel vaccine platforms. The real measure of whether India can 'lead' epidemic preparedness — rather than merely supply it — will come when the country demonstrates that it can develop, patent, and licence next-generation vaccines, not just manufacture those developed elsewhere at scale.
NationPress
13 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Dr Jitendra Singh say about India's role in global vaccine supply?
Dr Jitendra Singh said India currently supplies vaccines to more than 100 countries, accounts for nearly 60 per cent of global vaccine production by volume, and meets over 65 per cent of the WHO's routine immunisation requirements. He made these remarks at the CEPI Board and Investors Council reception in New Delhi on 13 September 2026.
What is CEPI and why was its meeting held in India?
CEPI, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, is a global body that finances and coordinates vaccine development for epidemic threats. Its Board and Investors Council governance meeting was held in New Delhi — the first such meeting in India in a decade — reflecting the deepening partnership between CEPI and India.
How large is India's bioeconomy in 2025?
India's bioeconomy reached $195.3 billion in 2025, registering 18 per cent year-on-year growth, according to figures cited by Minister Dr Jitendra Singh. The biopharma sector alone accounts for nearly 30 per cent of that total.
How many biotech startups does India have?
India's biotech startup ecosystem had expanded to 11,855 startups as of 2025, including 1,780 new startups established during that year alone, according to the minister's address.
Why does India's vaccine production dominance matter globally?
India's ability to produce nearly 60 per cent of global vaccines and meet over 65 per cent of WHO immunisation needs makes it a structural pillar of global public health. During future epidemics or pandemics, India's manufacturing scale and CEPI partnership could be critical to ensuring rapid and equitable vaccine access worldwide.
