When COVID-19 struck, India mounted the world's largest vaccination drive. Starting on 16 January 2021 from zero, it administered roughly 220 crore doses within about two years, most of them free. Two of the main vaccines — Covishield (made by Serum Institute) and the indigenous Covaxin — were produced in India, which also exported vaccines to dozens of countries.
COVID Vaccination · Co-WIN
COVID Vaccination · Co-WIN
India ran the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination drive. Starting from zero on 16 January 2021, it crossed 100 crore doses by 21 October 2021, 150 crore by 7 January 2022 and 200 crore by 17 July 2022 — reaching roughly 220 crore within two years, largely free, coordinated through the home-built Co-WIN digital platform for registration, scheduling and certificates. The counter shows cumulative vaccine doses.
0 → 220 cr
Vaccine doses given
world's largest
Vaccination drive
Co-WIN
Digital platform
Vaccine doses given
| Year | Vaccine doses |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 0 crore |
| 2021 | 145 crore |
| 2023 | 221 crore |
| Dashed bars are years the source does not publish; the shape between published years is drawn, not measured. | |
2020
0crore
Vaccine doses
20202023
Since 2020
Added
+221 crore
2020
0 crore
2023
221 crore
Dashed bars are years the source does not publish; the shape between published years is drawn, not measured.
Why it matters Mass, fast, free vaccination saved lives and reopened the economy, and Co-WIN showed India's ability to run public health at population scale.
- Vaccine doses: 0 → ~220 crore (2021→2023)
- World's largest drive; Co-WIN platform; two indigenous vaccines
- Source: Ministry of Health / Co-WIN
History
Notable feature
The drive ran on Co-WIN, a home-built digital platform that handled registration, appointment scheduling and QR-verified certificates for a billion-plus people — a feat of digital public infrastructure watched worldwide. India offered to share the Co-WIN software with other countries as a global public good.
How it works
India ran the pandemic vaccination as a digital-first, free, government-led drive. The Co-WIN platform handled registration, appointments and, crucially, a QR-verified digital certificate for every dose — letting a billion-plus people be tracked across two (and later booster) doses. Vaccines, mostly made in India (Covishield and the home-grown Covaxin), were given free at government centres, with mobile teams reaching remote areas.
Outlook
The drive delivered over 220 crore doses — the largest vaccination campaign in history — and Co-WIN became a model India now offers other countries as 'digital public infrastructure' for health. Its lasting gain is the proven ability to run a nationwide health campaign digitally — a template for future immunisation drives and public-health emergencies.
By the numbers
0 → ~220 crore doses (2021→2023). World's largest drive; run on Co-WIN. Two India-made vaccines; exports to 90+ countries. Sources: Ministry of Health, Co-WIN.
Data current to: as on 19 May 2023
Source: Ministry of Health / Co-WIN via PIB (Economic Survey 2022-23) — cumulative COVID-19 vaccine doses (crore), 2021–2023: 145,09,24,269 doses by 7 pm on 31 December 2021 (PIB); more than 220 crore as on 6 January 2023; 220.66 crore as on 19 May 2023, the latest Ministry of Health bulletin found on PIB (linked). No official total for the end of 2022 was found, so the chart has no 2022 point. · link