The Serum Institute of India has cut its offer price for states from Rs 400 per dose of vaccine to Rs 300, projecting it as a “philanthropic gesture” amid outrage at what is being seen as profiteering from a pandemic that is devastating the country. “As a philanthropic gesture on behalf of Serum Institute India, I hereby reduce the price to the states from Rs 400 to Rs 300 per dose, effective immediately; this will save thousands of crores of state funds going forward. This will enable more vaccinations and save countless lives,” Adar Poonawalla, chief executive of Pune-based Serum Institute, said in a tweet on Wednesday.