NEW DELHI - India started exporting coronavirus vaccines on Wednesday with the first shipment to the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, the foreign ministry said.

"First consignment takes off for Bhutan!" Anurag Srivastava, spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, said on Twitter. "India begins supply of Covid vaccines to its neighbouring and key partner countries."

Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and the Seychelles are also expected to get the shots from the world's biggest vaccine making country. 

(Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Sanjeev Miglani; Editing by Himani Sarkar) ((Krishna.Das@tr.com; +91 987111 8314;))