INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
ADB disbursed loans worth $4.6 billion to India in 2021, including towards Coronavirus responseNew Delhi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB)
disbursed loans worth record $4.6 billion to India in 2021, including $1.8 billion towards Coronavirus response."The Asian Development Bank
committed a record $4.6 billion in sovereign lending to India in 2021 for 17 loans, including $1.8 billion for the country's Coronavirus
disease pandemic response," the multilateral funding agency said in a statement.Out of the total Coronavirus-related assistance, $1.5
billion was towards vaccine procurement and $300 million to strengthen primary health care in urban areas and the country's future
pandemic preparedness.ADB Country Director for India Takeo Konishi said, "the ADB's operations continue to support the Government of
India's fight against Covid-19 and its other development priorities such as managing urbanisation, raising industrial competitiveness to
create more jobs, improving connectivity and enhancing skills."Mr Konishi added that to maximise the development impact of its operations,
ADB adopts a multidisciplinary approach and incorporates finance plus elements based on its comparative advantage, knowledge base and value
addition.He said the ADB will continue to support less-developed states through the provision of basic infrastructure and institutional
capacity building while pursuing transformative investments in the more economically advanced states.This included financing for India's
to urban local bodies.The ADB's India portfolio comprised 69 projects worth $15.5 billion as of December 31, 2021.Mr Konishi further said
that ADB will assist India's fast, green and inclusive economic recovery from the pandemic with expanded investments in health and
