India could offer sops to promote indigenous manufacturing of vaccine vial monitors (VVMs), a thermochromic label put on vials to test the efficacy of the vaccine post exposure to heat, officials said.

The Niti Aayog is spearheading the initiative and is holding discussions with multiple stakeholders to understand the potential and challenges that the country faces in the manufacturing of VVMs.

“The Aayog will come up with a roadmap to help development of indigenous manufacturing capacities for vaccine vial monitors including the fiscal support wherever needed,” the official said.

This would reduce India’s dependence on imports, make India self-sufficient and substantially reduce wastage of vaccines in any pandemic-like situation while ensuring that the cold chain storage conditions have been appropriately maintained, a senior government official told ET.

“This is required as India is one of the leading vaccine manufacturers in the world and plans to penetrate deeper into rural areas to step up its vaccination drive,” the official said, adding that with enough support, India could eventually export VVMs too.

VVMs are small indicators that adhere to vaccine vials and change colour as the vaccine is exposed to cumulative heat, letting health workers know whether the vaccine has exceeded a pre-set limit beyond which it should not be used. The government, during the pandemic, used Covid vaccines without VVMs, but had directed the usage of open vials within four hours, fearing that heat exposure could make the vaccine inactive.The global vaccine vial monitor market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 22.8% to reach $949.27 million by 2030.