As the country continues to fight with a far deadlier and dangerous second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, brands and companies have stepped up to offer much-needed assistance to help combat the crisis. India’s healthcare system is severely under pressure with the mounting number of cases that are vastly disproportionate to the availability of medical equipment and supplies. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Zomato have decided to come forward to help the country get through this pandemic by offering funds, medical supplies, and any form of support that can help. Here’s how some of the biggest companies in the country and around the world are helping India out during the pandemic.
Amazon India has stepped up to contribute over 10,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines to pre-identified hospitals and institutions across India. The e-commerce giant has partnered with ACT Grants, Temasek Foundation, Pune Platform for Covid-19 Response, Air India and other partners to urgently airlift the machines from Singapore. Aside from this, the company is also covering the cost of vaccination for over 10 lakh people across the country, including employees and company associates.
Tech giant Google has pledged a relief fund of Rs 135 crore to the cause of fighting the pandemic in India. It is partnering with Give India to provide cash assistance to the families that were hit the hardest during this time. It is also donating to UNICEF to help procure urgent medical supplies, like oxygen and testing equipment, and deliver it across the country. It is also offering Rs 112 crore worth of Ad Grants to non-profits and local health institutions to get the coverage they need during the pandemic.
One of India’s oldest conglomerates, Tata Group has imported 24 cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen in order to combat the severe oxygen shortage in India. Their steel unit has also, reportedly, amped up oxygen production. It’s also been reported that the group has been in talks with the government of Madhya Pradesh to facilitate setting up an oxygen plant in the state.
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has made its mark in the fight against the COVID-19 crisis with its contribution of more than 40,000 MT of medical oxygen across India. The company claimed that it has done everything to augment the production of oxygen from all its plants and optimise its dispatch to the relevant hospitals and institutions.
FMCG firm P&G has pledged Rs 50 crores towards covering the vaccination costs of over 5 lakh Indians, including all their employees and their family members. It is also working towards promoting the importance of vaccination and raising awareness through its brands.
The PayTM Foundation announced its goal of raising Rs 10 crores to source oxygen concentrators. It urged its users to donate as much as they can, promising to match each contribution with the same amount. Aside from this, the foundation has already ordered 1,000 concentrators to be donated across the country and is working on collaborating with partners to import over 30,000 more.
After helping in the transportation of PPE kits and medical equipment across the country, Vistara announced that it will carry doctor, nurses and other frontline healthcare workers for free amid the pandemic.
Online shopping platform Flipkart has partnered with Give India foundation to urge people to donate and provide essential medical equipment to charitable hospitals and COVID-19 centres around the country. It is also collaborating with Walmart, Walmart Foundation, and Walmart’s Global Technology and Sourcing hubs to help counter the oxygen shortage and support the vaccination drive as well by setting up on-site vaccination clinics for associates and their families.
Zomato’s not-for-profit arm ‘Zomato Feeding India’ has partnered with courier service Delivery to source and deliver oxygen concentrators and related medical supplies to hospitals and families in need. It is also working towards raising Rs 50 crores for Feeding India to be able to source more oxygen and medical equipment.
In order to honour the dedicated heroes working tirelessly at the frontlines, Mankind Pharma has decided to donate money to assist their families. The drug firm has pledged to donate Rs 100 crores for the families of deceased frontline workers, including doctors, police officers, nurses, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals who lost their lives fighting the pandemic.
OYO has stepped up to ensure all its employees that the company would be covering the vaccination costs for them and their families. They have also introduced a host of benefits that employees can avail, like free online doctor consultations and enhanced health insurance policies, COVID-19 home care covers and 24x7 counselling services. It has also offered spaces for people to safely isolate themselves during the pandemic, extending the invite to healthcare workers who can’t visit their homes.
Dating app Truly Madly has offered its matchmaking algorithm to help match plasma donors with COVID patients. The app offers a comprehensive way for donors and patients to register all the relevant information, including their blood group, the diagnosis dates, location, and contact information, to make the process more efficient.
Smartphone manufacturing firm Xiaomi has pledged Rs 3 crores to procure over 1,000 oxygen concentrators for hospitals across the country. It has also partnered with Give India to raise funds to assist in combating the crisis.
CRED founder Kunal Shah announced that the company is raising funds to source 1 billion litres of oxygen and has partnered with popular fundraising service Milan to ensure that it reaches hospitals and institutions in need. The initiative urges users to donate their loyalty points, claiming that they will match every 10,000 points with 1,000 litres of oxygen via the sourced concentrators.
Coca Cola India has come forward to pledge a donation of Rs 100 crore towards COVID relief activities. The multinational corporation has also claimed that it will be assisting in the enhancement of healthcare infrastructure in the country, facilitate the distribution of PPE kits, and continue to provide food, beverage, and hygiene essentials around India.
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