NEW DELHI (Reuters) – India will waive its 10% customs duty on imported COVID-19 vaccines, a senior government official told Reuters on Monday, as it tries to boost supplies to counter a dramatic surge in coronavirus cases.
Imports of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine are due to arrive soon and the government has also urged Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson and Johnson to sell their products to India.
The official, who declined to be named, also said the government was considering allowing private entities to import approved vaccines for sale on the open market without government intervention. They could also be given the freedom to set pricing, he added.
The Indian government currently regulates the sale and purchase of all COVID-19 shots in the country.
A finance ministry spokesman did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment outside business hours.
Other South Asian countries, including Nepal and Pakistan, as well as Latin American nations such as Argentina and Brazil levy vaccine import tariffs ranging between 10% and 20%.
via Reuters
23rd June 2026
Belgian authorities issued a European arrest warrant for Greece’s former European Commissioner for Migration, Dimitris Avramopoulos, in connection with the Qatargate scandal, according t...
23rd June 2026
A child under the age of 12 has died through euthanasia for the first time since the law was changed two years ago.
Health minister Sophie Hermans said the case had been reported to t...
23rd June 2026
Updated 1200
Parliament Opens New Legislature with Government, Opposition Setting Out Priorities: Malta’s 15th legislature since independence opened with MPs outlining their prioritie...
22nd June 2026
Updated 1255
Shoreline Mall Seeks Two-Year Extension on €14 Million Bond Repayment: Operators of the Shoreline shopping mall at SmartCity Malta have asked bondholders to approve a two...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
23rd June 2026
Oracle shed about 21,000 roles globally in the last year as the US technology giant reshapes its business around artificial intelligence (AI), the firm's latest annual report shows.
T...
23rd June 2026
Oil prices inched down on Tuesday, extending losses from the previous session, as investors looked for clearer signs of progress in restoring crude flows through the Strait of Hormuz fo...
8th June 2026
The European Parliament has approved a major new initiative aimed at reducing workplace accidents and strengthening worker protection across the European Union, as concerns continue to g...
8th June 2026
The European Union has approved new rules aimed at tightening the screening of foreign investments in strategic sectors, marking a major shift in Europe’s approach towards economic secur...
16th June 2026
GO ENERGI is offering households the opportunity to take advantage of the Government’s current grants to support PV systems and battery storage through a range of solar energy solutions ...
12th June 2026
Malta Public Transport announces a number of network adjustments in connection with the introduction of its Summer Schedule, aimed at meeting seasonal passenger demand and improving serv...
18th June 2026
The U.S. and Iran released the text of an interim agreement their presidents have signed to end their war on Wednesday, with U.S. President Donald Trump threatening to resume attacks and...
15th June 2026
U.S. and Iranian officials said they had reached an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a preliminary pact that sent oil prices falling but leaves the fate of Te...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
9th February 2026
María Corina Machado is a prominent figure in Venezuela’s opposition. She has reported that one of her closest associates, Juan Pablo Guanipa, was abducted. This occurred mere hours afte...
18th June 2026
Moscow has come under the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones hitting targets around the Russian capital and setting columns of thick...
17th June 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump said Russia should make peace with Ukraine after a "very good" meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday, in comments that sparked cautious optim...