Tata Group’s healthcare venture is said to have started initial discussions with Moderna for a partnership to launch its COVID-19 vaccine in India, said a media report.

Tata Medical & Diagnostics could team up with India’s Council of Scientific and Industrial Research to carry out clinical trials of Moderna’s vaccine candidate in India, the ET report said.

Moderna did not respond to Reuters request for a comment outside business hours, while Tata Medical & Diagnostics did not immediately respond.

Unlike Pfizer’s vaccine, which must be kept at minus 70 degrees Celsius or below, Moderna’s can be stored at normal fridge temperatures.

Data released in November from Moderna’s late-stage study showed it was 94.1 per cent effective with no serious safety concerns. The shot was approved for use in the US in December and in Europe earlier this month.

India mandates that any vaccine maker must conduct an additional local study if it has to be considered for what the country calls the world’s biggest vaccination programme.