In a major step taken to make a breakthrough with a sure-shot vaccine for Covid-19 in the nation, human clinical trials for a coronavirus vaccine have got underway in the country with approximately 1,000 volunteers taking part in the mammoth exercise for each of the two indigenously developed vaccine candidates, the ICMR said on Tuesday.

Giving his take on clinical trials, ICMR Director General Dr Balram Bhargava said that since India is one of the largest vaccine producers in the world, it becomes the "moral responsibility" of the nation to fast-track vaccine development process inorder to break the chain of coronavirus transmission.

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given its green signal two vaccines -- one developed by Bharat Biotech International Limited in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research and another one by Zydas Cadila Healthcare Ltd to go in for the first and second phase of human clinical trials.

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There are two Indian vaccine candidates that have undergone successful toxicity studies in rats, mice and rabbits and these data was submitted to the DCGI, following which both got clearance to start an early phase human trials earlier this month, Bhargava said at a press briefing.

"Two indigenous Indian candidate vaccines have got clearance to start early phase human trials this month.

"They have got their sites ready and are doing the clinical study on approximately 1,000 human volunteers each at different sites. They are trying to do early clinical testing for these two indigenous vaccine candidates," Bhargava said.

"...it is a moral duty to develop them as fast as possible because more than half a million people have succumbed to the disease across the world. So, fast-tracking these vaccine becomes very important," he said.

Bhargava stated that India is considered as the "pharmacy of the world", saying 60 per cent of the drugs utilised in the US are of Indian origin.

"The important fact that is not known is that 60 per cent of the vaccines supplied in the world whether it be Africa, Europe or Southeast Asia or any where are of Indian origin," he said.

Bhargava lauded Russia for making a major breakthrough in carrying out successful covid-19 vaccine trials on human beings and credited the nation for accelerating the development of the vaccine for the betterment of the humanity.

"The US again, as you read today has fast-tracked two of its vaccine candidates and the UK is also looking at how it can fast-track the Oxford vaccine candidate, for human use.