As India rolls out the third phase of its inoculation drive amid several states reporting a shortage of vaccines, the first lot of Sputnik V from Russia is expected to land in the country on Saturday.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, which is marketing Sputnik V globally, had stated earlier last month that the vaccines will start arriving in India from 1 May.

“The first doses will be delivered on 1 May," RDIF chief executive officer Kirill Dmitriev said. He had hoped that the Russian-made vaccine would help India mitigate the raging second wave of coronavirus infections.

However, Dmitriev had not stated the quantity of the shipment or where they would be made.

The Indian Ambassador to Russia, Bala Venkatesh Varma, also recently said that India will start vaccinating citizens with Russia's Sputnik V vaccine early in May.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the company’s partner in India, Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd, said it is not providing a specific date for the launch.

It added that although the company had earlier indicated the delivery will start from the end of May, the timeline has now been shifted to anytime in May.

“Discussions over pricing and the number of doses are still ongoing between Dr Reddy’s, RDIF and the government," the spokesperson said.

RDIF had last year said that the company will price the vaccine at less than $10 ( Rs750) per dose in international markets. Pricing of the vaccine varies in different countries.

Dr Reddy’s pact with RDIF is for the supply of 250 million doses in India, enough for 125 million people.

Sputnik V is the third vaccine India has given go-ahead to after 'Covishield', developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca and 'Covaxin', the indigenous vaccine manufactured by Bharat Biotech. Covishield is manufactured by Serum Institute of India.

Phase-3 vaccination drive, alarming surge in cases

Supply of the Sputnik V vaccine has become crucial for meeting the increased demand as several states have flagged concerns regarding the shortage of vaccines ahead of phase-3 of the vaccination drive.

Delhi, Odisha, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Punjab have said they do not have adequate doses to start vaccinating individuals in the 18-44 age group from 1 May.

Some states announced the third phase of the immunisation drive in selected districts, while some announced vaccination for only those above 35 years of age.

On the other hand, the country is dealing with a raging second wave of coronavirus.

India reported more than 66 lakh coronavirus cases in April, which is equivalent to the total number of new cases witnessed in over six months (April-September 2020) last year.

Previously, it had taken more than six months since September 22, 2020 for the caseload to increase by over 66 lakh.