New Delhi: The central government on Monday approved Sputnik-V, the vaccine against the COVID-19 infection developed by Russia. This is the third vaccine approved by India after COVISHIELD and Covaxin.

Dr Reddy's Laboratories, the Hyderabad-based pharma company, recently asked the government's approval for the vaccine to be used in the country which is witnessing a sharp rise in infections. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) partnered with Dr Reddy's in September 2020 to conduct clinical trials of Sputnik V in India. The Russian vaccine has an efficacy of 91.6 per cent and is conducting its Phase III clinical trials in the UAE, India, Venezuela and Belarus, according to the Sputnik-V's website.

Sputnik V has been developed by the Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology in Russia.

On Monday, the Health Ministry stated that roughly 30 lakh doses of vaccine were administered on the first day of 'Tika Utsav'. This move has helped push the cumulative reach to 10.45 crore. With India's average doses per day crossing the 40 lakh mark, the country continues to remain on the top globally.

Ten states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan, are showing a steep rise in daily COVID-19 cases — with 83.02 per cent of the new cases being reported from these states.