Paramaribo, May 8 — External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday held up India’s Vaccine Maitri programme as a model of responsible international leadership, saying it demonstrated how national interests can be aligned with the global good during the COVID-19 crisis.
Speaking to representatives across Surinamese society during a visit to Suriname — part of a three‑country Caribbean tour running May 2–10 — Jaishankar contrasted India’s humanitarian response with the behaviour of richer countries that he said hoarded supplies, sometimes stockpiling vaccines equivalent to as much as eight times their population while developing nations struggled to secure doses.
Jaishankar noted that India “rose to the occasion” by supplying vaccines to a large number of countries and contributing to multilateral initiatives. Launched on January 20, 2021, Vaccine Maitri was presented as a landmark effort in which India used its manufacturing capacity to distribute doses widely. By 2023, the mission had delivered nearly 300 million vaccine doses to roughly 100 countries, reinforcing India’s reputation as a global supplier of vaccines.
The initiative, Jaishankar said, was driven by the principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — the idea that the world is one family — and rejected an insular, protectionist approach in favour of international solidarity. That choice, he added, generated substantial diplomatic goodwill, particularly among low‑ and middle‑income countries that had been sidelined during the pandemic.
By translating principle into practice, Vaccine Maitri, according to Jaishankar, amplified India’s soft power and earned recognition from global institutions, including the United Nations and partners such as the QUAD. The comments were provided to ANI and are republished here as received.
