This is how Indian corporate houses are countering the viral vengeance

First Published | Apr 30, 2021, 7:09 PM IST

Even as the Covid-19 pandemic is once again growing at alarming rates, India Inc has opened its purse strings and come out to support the country's fightback From providing hospital beds to importing Liquid Medical Oxygen, corporate India is assisting the nation to overcome the pandemic. Let's take a look at what Indian corporate houses have been up to.
 

VedantaVedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal has announced that the group will commit Rs 150 crore to the Covid relief effort. The funds will be utilised to create an additional capacity of 1000 critical care beds in 10 cities across India.These 'field hospitals' will have 100 beds in air-conditioned tents with complete electric support designed for Covid care. The critical care facilities will have 90 beds complete with oxygen support and the rest will have ventilator support. Some of these facilities are expected to be operational within 14 days.
RelianceReliance Foundation has announced that it is setting up 1,000-bedded Covid Care facilities with oxygen supply in Jamnagar. Treatment will be provided free of cost to the citizens. A 400-bed Covid Care facility will be up and running at Government Dental College and Hospital in Jamnagar within a week. Thereafter, another 600-bed Covid Care facility will be made operational at another location in Jamnagar within the next two weeks' time.Reliance has also been providing oxygen supply to Gujarat and few other states. Reliance Industries Limited is already providing free of cost Covid care in Mumbai where 875 Covid beds are managed by Reliance Foundation Hospital. Between Jamnagar and Mumbai, Reliance will set up and manage 1,875 beds for Covid care.
TataTata Steel has been working closely with the Centre and states to address the demand for oxygen. The company has further increased supplies of Liquid Medical Oxygen to 800 tons per day. Besides, the group has also tied up with hospitals in 8 cities to provide isolation units at their hotel properties.The group has also been offering free of cost flights for medical staff of government organisation on Covid-19 duty. It has also been transporting medical supplies, PPE kits, vaccines as ordered by government hospitals and organisations. Tata Group had taken the initiative of importing 24 cryogenic containers to transport liquid oxygen to help ease the oxygen shortage in the country.
Hero MotoCorp LtdHero MotoCorp is providing its motorcycles and scooters for safe, personal commuting by health workers and medical staff in several states, including Delhi-NCR, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat.Hero MotoCorp has also partnered with the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kankhal at Haridwar in Uttarakhand for strengthening their healthcare system and response to Covid-19. The company has contributed oxygen cylinders for emergency medical use by some of the hospitals in Delhi and Haryana. It has also been donating PPE Kits to health authorities in various states for use by health workers.
boAtboAt has announced that it will commit Rs 50 lakh to procure high-grade oxygen concentrators and essential medical supplies for hospitals. The audio wearable company has partnered with SaveLIFE Foundation to deliver oxygen concentrators across Delhi and help meet the rising demand for the same.
JSW SteelJSW Steel has announced that it will supply over 20,000 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen. A large share of this comes from JSW's Vijayanagar Works plant in Karnataka which is supplying 11,500-12,000 tonnes.JSW Steel Chairman and MD Sajjan Jindal informed that large Covid-19 centers are being built on emergency basis around its plants where the company is laying a dedicated pipeline to supply gaseous oxygen directly to the patients to help reduce the dependency on liquid oxygen.
Mankind PharmaDrug-maker Mankind Pharma has said that it will donate Rs 100 crore to the next of kin of doctors, police officers, pharmacists, and other healthcare workers who died fighting the pandemic.
Adani GroupAdani Ports and SEZ, India's largest private-sector operator of seaports, has already waived charges for ships carrying Covid-related equipment.Gautam Adani's group has also procured about two dozen cryogenic tanks for transporting medical oxygen, from the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. The group secured another 5,000 medical-grade oxygen cylinders from Linde Saudi Arabia.
ITC LimitedFMCG major ITC Limited has tied up with Linde India Limited to airfreight 24 cryogenic ISO containers of 20 tonnes each from Asian countries to transport medical oxygen across the country.In addition, ITC is airlifting large numbers of oxygen concentrators for distribution. Its Paperboards unit in Bhadrachalam has commenced supply of oxygen to neighbouring areas.
Mahindra GroupMahindra Group has signed letters of intent with multiple hospitals to explore the setting up of vaccination centres in open spaces.According to Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra, such open vaccination camps allows efficient handling of a larger number of people while also preventing the vaccine drive from intruding on the hospital's regular activities.
click me!