India opened up its coronavirus inoculation programme to people above 45 as infections surge, which will delay vaccine exports from the world's biggest maker of the drug.

The country, with the most number of reported Covid-19 cases after the United States and Brazil, has so far injected 64 million doses and exported nearly as many. This has raised criticism at home as India's per-capita vaccination figure is much lower than many countries, Reuters reports.

India initially focused on frontline workers, the elderly and those suffering from other health conditions, unlike some richer countries that have made all their adults eligible to get inoculated.

New Delhi says it is working towards that goal, and Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said that there would be no vaccine shortage in the country as it opens up the vaccination programme.