India has reported a record 295,041 coronavirus cases, as the death toll crossed 2,000 in a day for the first time.
Even with hospitals struggling, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised state governments against imposing a harsh lockdown in favour of micro-containment zones as he sought to avoid another economic slump.
The surge in India has exacerbated the slowdown in global vaccination campaigns.
India is a major vaccine producer but was forced to delay deliveries of shots to focus on its domestic demand.
So far, India has administered more than 130 million doses of vaccines in a nation of nearly 1.4 billion since mid-January.
Overall, India has reported more than 15.6 million confirmed cases, the second highest behind the United States. The number of deaths stands at 182,553.
