India will resume exports of Covid-19 vaccines in the October quarter, prioritising the global vaccine-sharing platform Covax and neighbouring countries first as supplies rise, the health minister has said.

India, the world's biggest maker of vaccines, stopped exports of Covid shots in April to focus on inoculating its own population as infections exploded.

The country's monthly vaccine output has since more than doubled and is set to quadruple to over 300 million doses next month, minister Mansukh Mandaviya said, adding that only excess supplies would be exported.

“We will help other countries and also fulfil our responsibility towards Covax,” Reuters quoted the health minister as saying.