India’s independent world view has been reaffirmed in the recent days with the fact that while it has worked closely with the USA on medical supplies to fight Covid it has not shied away from steps against US financial firms for violating local laws.
Indian officials worked overtime to ensure that the USA provided with waiver for vaccine patents and also allowed vaccines to be shared with India even as shipments continued to arrive here from the USA with assistance to fight Covid.
“Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the United States has already authorized and that is already available in large quantities — including two two-dose vaccines and one one-dose vaccine — and given AstraZeneca is not authorized for use in the United States, we do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against COVID over the next few months,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday. The announcement reflects growing pressure the U.S. has faced to share its vaccine supply with other countries, such as India, that have seen surges of COVID-19 infections.
The U.S. stockpile of the AstraZeneca vaccine had grown to more than 20 million doses, part of a total of between 80 million and 90 million doses in some stage of production for the U.S. order, according to news reports. AstraZeneca has already manufactured millions of doses in the U.S. under a federal contract.
The waiver for vaccine patent was achieved after huge efforts led by Indian diplomats and ably backed by the South African Embassy in Washington DC. Several Congressmen were moved who in return mounted pressure on the Biden administration to achieve desired results.
Back home, displaying independent world view action was taken recently against the American Express Banking Corp. and Diners Club International Ltd for violation of data localisation laws. The Reserve Bank of India restricted American Express Banking Corp. and Diners Club International Ltd. from adding new local customers, citing non-compliance with data-storage rules. The firms are the first to be penalized under India’s data-storage rules announced 2018, which ordered payment systems providers to store all data generated by them on servers in India. American Express Banking Corp and Diners Club International Ltd are Payment System Operators authorised to operate card networks in the country under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007.
Meanwhile while Chinese telecommunication firms were barred from India’s 5G technology and spectrum trials, Chinese medical supplies procured commercially continue to arrive in India to fight Covid.
Against the backdrop of the year-long military standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Chinese companies such as Huawei and ZTE didn’t find a place in the trials. The Indian side has repeatedly said complete disengagement and de-escalation at friction points along the LAC will be the basis for taking forward relations in other spheres, including business.
The hallmark of Indian foreign policy has been its independent approach through the decades and its decision-making process is based on serving national interests by engaging with several partners at the same time. From Russia to Europe to Gulf to SE Asia-East Asia, it is engaging with every partner to combat Covid surge.
