The Health Minister said Sputnik Light is the ninth Covid vaccine in the country. (File)
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has granted emergency-use permission to the single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine, informed Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday.
Mr Mandaviya said that this decision will further strengthen the country's fight against the pandemic.
"DCGI has granted emergency use permission to single-dose Sputnik Light COVID-19 vaccine in India. This is the 9th #COVID19 vaccine in the country. This will further strengthen the nation's collective fight against the pandemic," said Mr Mandaviya in a tweet.
On Saturday, the subject expert committee under the drug regulator had recommended Russia's Sputnik Light one-shot COVID-19 vaccine, sources had told news agency ANI.
Sources had said that the DCGI was expected to soon give final approval to Russia's Sputnik Light.
Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories is the Indian partner of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), which had sought approval from the drug regulator for use of single-dose Russia's Sputnik Light one shot.
The recommendation was given as the primary dose. Recently, the company submitted a proposal for conducting trials of Sputnik Light as a booster to other vaccines. Sputnik Light is the first component of the two doses of the Sputnik V vaccine.