India's coronavirus epicentre Maharashtra went into a state-wide weekend lockdown on April 10 as the country battled exploding infection numbers and shortages of vaccines, drugs and hospital beds. (Image: AFP)

Having let its guard down with mass religious festivals, political rallies and spectators at cricket matches, India is experiencing a ferocious new wave with around a million new cases in the past week. (Image: AFP)

After a lockdown a year ago caused widespread misery and one of the sharpest downturns of any major economy, the central government is desperate to avoid a hugely unpopular second shutdown. (Image: AFP)

But many states are tightening the screw, in particular Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai, where restaurants are shut and public gatherings of more than five people are banned. (Image: AFP)

Every weekend until the end of April the state's 125 million people are confined to their homes unless shopping for food, medicine or travelling. (Image: AFP)

With the country grappling with the new surge, cricket is now being played behind closed doors -- including the big-bucks Indian Premier League, which began April 9 -- and in many regions including in New Delhi and Bangalore a night curfew is in force. (Image: AFP)

India's drive to vaccinate its 1.3 billion people also looks to be hitting problems, with just 94 million shots administered so far and stocks running low, according to local authorities. (Image: AFP)

In megacity Mumbai, all 72 private vaccination centres were shut until April 11 while opening hours were reduced at government and municipal centres. On April 10, India reported 145,000 new cases, a new record taking the total to 13.2 million with 170,000 deaths. Per-capita rates are lower than many other nations however. (Image: AFP)

The CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the world's biggest vaccine maker by volume, has warned that production capacity is "very stressed". Poorer countries, as well as some rich nations, have relied heavily on Serum for supplies of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but last month New Delhi put the brakes on exports to prioritise domestic needs. (Image: AFP)

Several states are also experiencing shortages of coronavirus treatment drug Remdesivir, reports said. A lull in demand from December to February led to low or zero production for three months, the Indian Express cited Remdesivir manufacturers as saying. (Image: AFP)

Mumbai street wears deserted look as weekend lockdown begins amid COVID surge

India's coronavirus epicentre Maharashtra went into a state-wide weekend lockdown on April 10 as the country battled exploding infection numbers and shortages of vaccines, drugs and hospital beds.