India's Ministry of Commerce has been asked to monitor exports of medicinal products and equipment to China to ensure domestic availability for any COVID-19 surges, according to a source familiar with the matter.

India's Health Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya, asked pharma companies and senior government officials to review availability of medicines, and monitor their stocks and prices in a meeting on Thursday, the source told Reuters.

The pharma companies were also asked to keep a close watch on the global supply chain scenario and ensure adequate stocks and availability of all drugs including COVID drugs, the source said.

(Reporting by Jyoti Narayan in Bengaluru; Additional reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Andrew Heavens)