The outbreak of covid-19 in 2020 has pushed the whole world into deep economic and health crisis. The virus unveiled the vulnerabilities of healthcare and the economy despite being the most developed ever in history. All countries, whether rich or poor, eastern or western, democratic or non-democratic got effected by the pandemic.

Countries which took adequate steps have succeeded to control the impact of the virus to a great extent, however the countries which did not take it seriously affected the most.

More than a year passed since the outbreak and now the world is recovering from this crisis. After enormous efforts of scientists, various vaccines are introduced to control the virus. Different vaccines have different effective rates. As the virus deeply impacted the global politics along with various other areas of human life, the invention of vaccines by some companies and countries has started a new form of engagement between the countries which is termed as ‘vaccine diplomacy.’

Like other regions of the world, South Asia was also significantly affected by the covid-19 and the creation of vaccine raised hopes in the governments and masses of these countries. India is also one of the very few countries in the world and the only country in South Asia that created its own vaccine. India’s vaccine maker Bharat Biotech has developed “coaxing” which the country uses to gain its geopolitical objectives by donating vaccines to its neighbours through its grant assistance program.

Modi had announced already his ‘neighbourhood first policy’ and he backs his words through vaccine diplomacy. In other words, New Delhi is using its soft power to increase its influence in the neighbourhood. Following this policy India has donated 0.5 million vaccines to Afghanistan, 2 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are donated to Bangladesh, 1 million to Nepal and shipments of vaccines have sent to Bhutan, Maldives and also some of South-East Asian neighbours.

Pakistan is the only country in South Asia which did not accept vaccines from India, instead, Islamabad as usual preferred Chinese Sinopharm vaccine to kick start the national vaccination drive. The first consignment of 0.5 million doses Sinopharm has already arrived in Pakistan.

In a time when the global economy is in recession and countries are trying to figure out new ways to adjust in the new normal, vaccines will play a key role not only in the fight against the virus but also shaping the new normal political order. The fault lines prevail in South Asia like India and Pakistan goes opposite directions even in the time of the pandemic.