Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has lauded the Narendra Modi-led government’s Vaccine Maitri initiative, hailing it as a standout achievement in India’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Writing in The Week, Tharoor described how India’s dispatch of vaccines to over 100 countries showcased “international leadership rooted in responsibility and solidarity,” cementing its role as a global health diplomacy powerhouse during a time of unprecedented crisis.

Launched in January 2021, Vaccine Maitri saw India supply Covishield and Covaxin—domestically produced vaccines—to nations across South Asia, Africa, and beyond, at a time when wealthier countries hoarded doses. Tharoor, a former Minister of State for External Affairs, noted, “The richer nations spent their resources stocking up on vast quantities of vaccines for their own citizens, much of which had to be thrown away unused when they could have saved lives if distributed to poorer nations.”

In contrast, India’s efforts, he argued, embodied the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the world as one family—enhancing its soft power and global stature.

Beyond vaccines, Tharoor highlighted India’s broader outreach: military doctors deployed to Nepal, the Maldives, and Kuwait, and virtual training for South Asian healthcare workers. India’s contributions to COVAX, a WHO-led equitable vaccine distribution effort, further underscored its commitment, despite the initiative’s underfunding by richer nations.

“India emerged as a key player in global health diplomacy, showcasing its capacity to address global challenges,” he wrote.

Tharoor’s praise, rare from an opposition figure, aligns with India’s strategic use of its pharmaceutical might—producing 60% of the world’s vaccines—to build goodwill and counter China’s influence.

As the fifth anniversary of the Covid lockdown nears, he sees Vaccine Maitri as a “silver lining” amid the pandemic’s dark days, a testament to India’s compassion and leadership on the world stage.