New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a three-city visit today to personally review Covid vaccine development and manufacturing process. Accordingly, he will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune.
"PM will embark on a 3-city visit to personally review the vaccine development and manufacturing process. He will visit the Zydus Biotech Park in Ahmedabad, Bharat Biotech in Hyderabad and Serum Institute of India in Pune," the PMO tweeted.
"As India enters a decisive phase in the fight against Covid-19, PM's visit to these facilities and discussions with the scientists will help him get a first hand perspective of the preparations, challenges and roadmap in India's endeavour to vaccinate its citizens," it added.
In Hyderabad, the Prime Minister will go around the facilities in Bharat Biotech to understand the vaccine development process and the preparations to manufacture the doses in large numbers once the vaccine gets approval from the authorities concerned.
Bharat Biotech officials will explain to the Prime Minister the various aspects of the vaccine development and their rollout plans. The company is currently conducting Phase III clinical trials of the vaccine at various centres across the country.
Before reaching Hyderabad, the Prime Minister will be visiting the facilities of Zydus Cadila in Ahmedabad where ZyCoV-D is being developed and the Serum Institute of India facilities in Pune where the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine is being manufactured.
According to sources, the Prime Minister will arrive at the Ahmedabad airport at around 9 am on Saturday. From there, he'll be directly fo to the Zydus Cadila plant in Changodar.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel said, "The Prime Minister will spend around two hours at the Zydus Cadila plant. From Ahmedabad, he will be go to the Serum Institute of India (SII) facilility in Pune."
According to sources, plans are afoot for the Prime Minister's arrival in Changodar. A special helipad has been prepared at Zydus company's grounds, where Modi's chopper will be landing.
The police have reviewed the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit.
In reported 43,082 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, taking the total caseload to 93,09,787.
( With IANS Inputs)