Vaccine shortages India is distributing millions of doses in its neighborhood and further a field.

Most have been given away free, some commercially.

The policy is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's assurance to make affordable vaccines available to the world.

But there are definite hints of Indian soft power at play, especially at a time that China to is ramping up its own so called vaccine diplomacy.

Thing is the first consignment of covered 19 vaccine to arrive in Afghanistan.

It includes half a million doses on was donated by the government of India.

The international press and a host of VIPs have been assembled to witness the event.

So what's behind such generosity?

An embassy spokesperson offers one explanation.

India is very happy that, you know, we have a long tradition of history and cooperation.

In good times and bad.

India and Afghanistan have stayed together, Onda.

We call it as a vaccine, my three, which is, you know, friendship through vaccination, friendship through vaccination.

While other countries are accused of holding vaccines or failing to secure enough for their citizens, India has already given away more than five million doses on may donate as many as 20 million to neighboring nations in the near future.

Among the many fisheries are Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Nepal.

Family.

We have been successful in bringing the vaccines to Nepal.

For this, I would like to thank the Indian government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the people of India on behalf of Nepal's government.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on the people off Nepal rob parties until I India is one of the world's largest vaccine producers, already meeting more than 60% of global demand.

One of its champions is the privately owned Serum Institute of India.

When Covert 19 hit, they teamed up with British Swedish firm AstraZeneca.

Together, they quickly produced and stockpiled more than 70 million doses, which put India in a position to be able to help other countries with their inoculation drives.

For India, this is a source of national pride.

It's also seen as a way of improving ties in the region on some say, leveraging any goodwill that might be generated.

Others suggest Delhi's hoping to counter Chinese influence assed Beijing conducts its own vaccine diplomacy, delivering doses of its Jap two countries in India's backyard.

Joining Me now is an armed Christian, and he's China correspondent for The Hindu newspaper and author of the book India's China Challenge.

He joins me Now from Chennai.

An Ant Welcome Now India calls it vaccine May 3 or vaccine friendship.

But is it primarily away toe counter Chinese influence in what India has always seen as its area off influence?

Well, British?

I don't really think so, because if you look at what the spread of where India has been sending its vaccines, it's of course focused on the immediate neighborhood.

Bangladesh, Myanmar and Nepal Everest give Mawr doses from India than any other country, but India is also supplying vaccines to Egypt, South Africa, Brazil, Uh, now countries in the Caribbean.

I think it's more a question of India happening to be one of the places in the world that has the biggest capacity for making vaccines.

And right now our British, the it's more a question of demand and supply where India is going to be producing way more than it needs.

Just so far, India has vaccinated about eight million people on it, has sent about 16 million doses of vaccines abroad, off which about one third were grants and the rest on a commercial basis.

So I think this is more demand supply issue rather than a vaccine competition.

And as someone in nipple recently told me, if India and China going head over heels to supply vaccines, it's a good thing for the world.

But is there an element of soft power here that India is hoping to project?

For sure, I'm sure there is an added element.

I don't think it would be the case where diplomacy or geopolitics is driving this effort.

I think as I said, it's more a question of India having the capacity to do so.

But of course I think for India, for China, for every other country there is an added element.

As you can see, India's external affairs minister has been tweeting almost every dispatch.

The Indian envoys and Indian missions in the countries that receiving them have been quite active on social media showcasing it.

So of course, as you said, I think it's a wonderful opportunity to showcase soft power for India, for China, for any other country, but my own sense parishes, the idea of vaccine competition between India and China is something I think, perhaps being played up too much in the media.

I think China itself has two vaccines that is producing in large quantities.

As you know, they've controlled the coronavirus spread in China, so they do have the capacity to export them overseas as well.

So I think it is a good thing for the world that India and China emerging.

It's big suppliers of vaccines, India, especially being one of the world's biggest manufacturers.

It's not a good thing for the world.

If there is some element of soft power competition, I think bridge, so be it.

Well, let's photo and focus on the soft bar.

I'm thinking particularly off India's ties in the immediate neighborhood, with countries such as Bangladesh and Nepal, which have generally been fraught in the recent past.

Do you think that accidentally, if I can put it that way, they might see a slight improvement?

I think it is interesting where it seems with India's relations with the immediate neighborhood seems to be cyclical when they go through periods of crisis and then they kind of patch up, and I think that happens a lot, especially with Nepal and Sri Lanka.

You've seen them gravitate towards China and then you had changes in government.

They gravitate back towards India.

My feeling is I think there is some amount of realism in Delhi, especially if you have smaller countries in your immediate neighborhood.

It's in their interest.

Try and play India off of China to get the best deal.

I don't think that dynamic is going to change and I would expect that push pull to continue in the immediate neighborhood for some time to come.

I think various, we should keep in mind that there is a spectrum.

Uh, if you look at India's immediate neighborhood, I think that ranges from Bhutan on the one end which has extremely close relations, then there are no ties with China, obviously Pakistan at the other end.

I think in between it's a lot of gray area.

I think it was to look at Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, there seem to be moving to China and then away from China and I think that kind of dynamic is here to stay and I think you're seeing that reflected a little bit in the vaccines as well.

It's quite interesting that China has been quite slow to be able to send its vaccines for whatever reason.

Uh, two countries in South Asia barring Pakistan China has very belatedly announced a half a million deal to supply vaccines to Nepal and there was some controversy in Nepal, apparently leaking documents saying with the Chinese embassy there was pressuring nipple to accept to kind of take up Chinese vaccines.

The Chinese media has accused India of blocking Chinese trials in Bangladesh, although later it emerged was more about the Chinese company changing the terms of the deal.

So, as you said British, I think it is playing out a little bit, but perhaps a little bit too much being made off in my opinion, a non Christian thanks very much for sharing that opinion.