The global COVID-19 outbreak has brought about never-before challenges in our daily lives. The country is rising in one accord to win the fight against this pandemic. Contributions in cash and kind have been given to all those in the capacity of utilising them effectively. We have seen how Corporate entities, organisations and individuals have opened their purse strings as they are deeply concerned for all those affected by the pandemic. Let us not give up the fight. Let us be relentless in our purpose, support and encourage all those at the frontline during these difficult times so we can overcome this present situation in the most extraordinary way.
Bharti Foundation
Bharti Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, is making efforts to ensure that nearly 40,000 students in its Satya Bharti across six States in rural India continue to stay engaged with education, despite nationwide lockdown.
Although the majority of families of the underprivileged children in villages do not have a personal computer, the Foundation has ensured that teachers remotely reach out to students through smartphones. Class-wise WhatsApp groups have been formed and students are being given reading material, video links and assignments as per class.
Satya Bharti School teachers are contacting parents over the phone and including them in the classwise WhatsApp groups. Teachers are working from home to create homework and weekly assignments for different classes and are sharing them in the groups. Wherever possible, teachers are making use of online learning apps for children. Teachers of some schools have been also making short video classes for students to access. For parents who cannot read, teachers are making voice-notes and sending over WhatsApp.
Parents are actively involved in their child’s learning process at home and are sending pictures of their children’s homework and reports to teachers in the groups.
Mamta Saikia, Chief Executive Officer, Bharti Foundation commented, “We are pleased that our field teams and teachers are fully committed and giving their 100 per cent in these trying circumstances. It is heartening to note that parents have been very cooperative and students are eager to learn. It is important that underprivileged children of our country continue to stay engaged with education.”
Tetra Laval Group
In order to support the country’s collective response to this crisis, Tetra Pak, Sidel and DeLaval, will jointly donate over INR Three Crore to various relief organisations across the country with a view to supporting the COVID-19 relief efforts in India. Of the total, INR One Crore will be donated to the PM-CARES Fund for national relief efforts. Another part of the funds will be used to provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), masks and other essentials for frontline healthcare workers across Maharashtra. The remaining funds will be used to augment similar efforts across the country to fight the virus over the coming weeks.
This forms part of the Tetra Laval Group’s recent donation of €10 million to support global COVID-19 relief efforts https://www.tetralaval.com/news-and-press-releases/tetra-laval-group-covid-19-relief-efforts
The donation is in addition to the ongoing CSR and community support activities being undertaken by Tetra Pak, De Laval and Sidel. This includes support to the waste-picker families across India who are helping keep the country running, and to the migrant workers and other marginalised communities around our area of operations who are most vulnerable to the impact of the pandemic.
Employees across Tetra Pak, De Laval and Sidel have also voluntarily contributed a day’s salary to central and state relief funds, reiterating their commitment to stand in solidarity with the entire nation to effectively combat the crisis.
We remain fully committed to playing our part in ensuring continuous food supplies in the country while maintaining important measures to ensure the health and safety of our employees and all those involved in our operations.
Cost-effective Face Shield by Volvo Trucks’ Dealer
As India fights the coronavirus pandemic, a Volvo Trucks dealer has developed a simple and cost-effective face shield with his team, for the protection of the frontline warriors of COVID-19. This is believed to help doctors, nurses, supporting medical staff, paramilitary forces, sanitary workers and health workers to protect themselves.
The team of four – Sibi Mathai, MD of Vista Driveline [Volvo Truck, Bus Dealer], Hans Habeeb, COO Suracsh Filters, Pratheek, Design & Styling, Head at Navgathi Marine, and Sandith Thandasherry, came together to build good quality face shields in their R&D centre. The current 3D machine could create two masks in 20 minutes.
Taking inspiration from designs available online, the team came up with a modified version on the request of Dr Jose Joseph, Principal at Kottayam Medical College. Using 3D printers, they developed this essential device and the first batch has been sent to a government medical college for testing.
S. Sunil Kumar, Minister of Agriculture, Kerala, also tried the face shield and applauded the team for their efforts in providing protection to healthcare professionals and police personnel from this deadly virus.
Credit Suisse
Credit Suisse has pledged INR 45 million (approx. US$590,000) to support government and community efforts to address urgent healthcare needs arising from the COVID-19 outbreak in Maharashtra. The aid is being deployed through United Way Mumbai and Concern India Foundation and will be used to fund the procurement of critical medical equipment and protective gear for over 4,000 frontline healthcare workers across nine government hospitals in Mumbai and Pune.
With the support of Credit Suisse, United Way Mumbai will purchase 36 ventilators and 11,500 personal protective equipment (PPE) kits including surgical masks, gowns, goggles, shoe covers, gloves and hand sanitisers for frontline medical staff at the Kasturba, Bhabha Kurla, Rajawadi, HBT Jogeshwari, Gokuldas Tejpal, IIT Bombay and St George hospitals in Mumbai. Over 1,200+ healthcare workers and 225,000 patients are expected to benefit.
Through Concern India Foundation, Credit Suisse will procure similar items, as well as other critical medical equipment including ECG and portable x-ray machines, for Intensive Care Units of the government-owned Sassoon and Sardar Vallabhai Patel Cantonment Hospitals in Pune, which have a combined capacity of 2,500 patients and employ around 3,000 health workers in total.
Additionally, Credit Suisse India employees will contribute to providing food and personal care kits to communities of daily wage earners and their families who have been among the worst affected by the economic disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. With each kit, a family of four will have approximately one month’s worth of meals.
Mickey Doshi, CEO India, Credit Suisse, said, “In these trying times, it is important that we come together to support our wider communities. Credit Suisse is privileged to support our local medical teams who have been working tirelessly to provide life-saving treatment, and ensure they can continue to do so while safeguarding their own health.”
Jayanti Shukla, CEO, United Way Mumbai, said, “Our actions over the next few weeks are critical in determining how we, as a nation, fight the COVID-19 pandemic. With the support of organisations such as Credit Suisse, we are able to help public hospitals with the protective gear and crucial medical equipment they need to best help patients suffering from the virus.”
Kavita Shah, CEO, Concern India Foundation, said, “It is imperative that we support our hospitals and our healthcare workers during this challenging time, and the contributions of corporates such as Credit Suisse go a long way. With the number of coronavirus-related cases growing every day in India, we need to ensure prevention and relief. Concern India Foundation is in the process of mobilizing resources across the country to lend support to the government’s efforts.”
Shalimar Paints
Iconic paint manufacturer Shalimar Paints recently announced that it is donating paint to SGT Medical College, a leading Gurgaon-based hospital and research institute. This development is part of Shalimar Paints’ endeavours to help the country fight the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak.
The SGT Medical College, which is creating several quarantine wards for COVID-19 patients, is looking to ensure the utmost safety, hygiene and high maintenance. As a responsible brand, Shalimar Paints has extended a hand of support to the Gurgaon-based medical facility by donating its products as a part of its contribution to the society for its fight against the coronavirus spread.
Apart from SGT Medical College, Shalimar Paints has also pledged to donate its paints to Lemon Tree and Fern Hotels, which are offering rooms as quarantine centres for COVID-19 patients.
Aadhar Housing Finance
In response to the acute and growing needs of the nation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, Aadhar Housing Finance has undertaken a slew of initiatives to extend support to critical communities across India. In addition, Aadhar Housing Finance has committed INR 50 Lacs in funding as part of their CSR initiative. They have also provided 27300 Masks and 7155 bottles of sanitisers which has benefitted frontline police staff, medical staff and migrant labourers.
20,000 masks and 80 bottles (500ml) along with 4 cans of sanitisers was provided to the Mumbai Police – EOW (Economic Offences Wing). 10 cans of hand sanitisers were also given to Haffkine Institute from Mumbai. Aadhar Housing Finance has also managed to provide food for 500 migrant labourers stranded due to lockdown in Palghar district with the help of the local Tehsildar. 300 masks and 65 bottles (500ml) of sanitisers were also provided to Mumbai Police Special Branch – CID.
Recognising the profound impact of this pandemic on the most vulnerable set of people, including daily wage workers, 3000 units of hand sanitisers, 3000 units of 3-Ply face masks were distributed to the needy people through the NGO – Bhartiya Inclusive Development Foundation. Masks and hand sanitisers were also given to the Bangalore Police Force.
A total of 4000 Masks and sanitisers were distributed to the Police authorities at Dewas and Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh. Aadhar Housing Finance also provided ration supplies to underprivileged children in Delhi and daily wage workers in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
On the contribution towards the company’s CSR initiative, Deo Shankar Tripathi, MD and CEO, Aadhar Housing Finance, said, “We realize the fact that support in any form will make a big difference. So, as part of our CSR activities, we have encouraged all the Aadharites to suggest us ways in which we can contribute towards those who need support and help in this need of the hour. Through our contribution, we want to convey a message to the society that we are grateful to all those who are committed to keeping us safe, sufficient and healthy in these trying times and their health and well-being is vital to our future.”
As a voluntary contribution, all Aadhar Housing Finance employees have pledged their one-day salary which sums up to approximate INR 20 Lacs and will be donated towards PM-CARES Fund.
Rishi Anand, Chief Business Officer of Aadhar Housing Finance, said, “As an essential service provider, Aadhar Housing Finance is always standing strong with the Indian Police Force and the citizens of this country. Along with this, we are constantly taking initiatives to support our government in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. All the employees are participating in these efforts whole-heartedly and are constantly coming up with new initiatives to help the COVID-19 warriors. The way India stood strong while following social distancing, I am sure the same sentiment will be displayed now towards combined efforts of social responsibility to bring the nation back to normalcy.”
Hrishikesh Jha, Chief People Officer of Aadhar Housing Finance, said, “Employees at Aadhar Housing Finance were very helpful and generous to help out the Indian Government during such trying times. It is good to see that all of our team members have come forward to help out the COVID-19 warriors. We are in this together and such display of unity towards social responsibility is what the country needs the most now.”
Maruti Suzuki India
In wake of the national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Maruti Suzuki India Limited has been undertaking several initiatives to support employees and communities around its manufacturing facilities in Haryana. These efforts are aligned with the local government guidelines and directions to fight COVID-19. The Company is fully committed to using its resources to support the health challenge, as per government advisories.
The Company has been using its in-house canteens to prepare hygienic meals for the temporary workmen and student trainees staying in village communities around the Gurugram and Manesar plants. It has been distributing over 5,400 such cooked food packets every day for both lunch and dinner in the nearby communities. So far, it has distributed over 120,000 food packets in the last three weeks.
In addition, the Company, in association with the Indian Red Cross Society, is supporting the Gurugram administration by providing nearly 500 kits of dry ration every day. These dry ration kits are distributed in the nearby villages and include daily use items like rice, wheat flour, cooking oil, sugar and soap. The Company has distributed nearly 10,000 such packets in the last three weeks.
To maintain a clean and hygienic environment, the Company is carrying out waste collection and also supporting the sanitisation activities in these villages. Besides, fresh and clean drinking water is available from Maruti Suzuki’s 17 Water ATMs installed across 16 villages. The access to the water ATMs is open to all and water is dispensed with strict social distancing norms at a nominal 35 paise/litre. Supported by the village community leaders, the consumption of water at the ATMs has increased by 4-5 times than previous months. It is estimated nearly 4,500 litres of clean water is dispensed daily at Aliyar village and 3,800 litres in Dhana Village at Manesar. Built on a self-sustaining model, water ATMs have a capacity to generate over 1,000 litres of drinkable water per hour. For 100 per cent adherence of quality standards, the Water ATM is fitted with a Water Quality Display Screen which shows the purity of water in terms of TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), temperature and ph level for the users.
Speaking on these efforts, Rajesh Uppal, Member Executive Board (HR, IT & Safety), Maruti Suzuki India Limited said, “We are aligned with the Government of India’s directives to fight the COVID-19 pandemic and are working towards the safety and well-being of our employees and communities around our manufacturing units. Regular communication is being undertaken with all regular and outsourced employees through established employee communication channels. In a unique initiative, we are also connecting with family members of employees through video conferencing to engage and motivate them during lockdown days.”
Using technology tools, the company has also launched an online Family Connect programme to reach out to employees’ families over video conferencing. The unique online outreach program is being utilised to engage the families with continuous communication and motivate them during the lockdown.
M3M Foundation
M3M Foundation, the philanthropic arm of realty developer – M3M Group – has donated Rs One Crore to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in Haryana. The company has been actively supporting construction workers and daily wage earners with food and essentials requirements.
Dr Payal Kanodia, Trustee, M3M Foundation said, “We are going through extraordinary times we never thought of. We all need to rise to the occasion and fight this precarious situation together. The government is doing a commendable job in containing the current crisis and it becomes imperative that we stand with them at this moment. We have contributed to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and will continue to support the needy during this hour of need so that everyone has access to essentials.”
The Foundation is extending support to 5000 daily wage earners and construction workers in Gurugram and Tauru region of Haryana. The relief work is being carried out in Gurugram under its iMPower programme. Through this initiative, M3M is providing rice, pulses, vegetables, clean drinking water, and milk for toddlers and growing children. Apart from this, they will also be providing soaps for personal use, washing clothes and handwash. Fumigation and sanitisation of the camps are also being undertaken.
Keeping in view the safety of all, M3M Foundation is providing these items to the volunteers of the iMPower programme. They are further distributing the same to all the families in the camps of construction workers. This is being undertaken with proper precaution including wearing masks and gloves, use of sanitisers, etc. The volunteers will also be spreading awareness of social distancing and hand hygiene.
IIFL Foundation
IIFL Foundation said it continues its efforts in the fight against COVID-19 along with the government and public. After the initial contribution of Rs 5 Crore to the PM-CARES Fund, it has contributed another Rs 20 Lakhs to various hospitals and NGOs to provide protective gears to frontline staff and food to migrant labourers.
Madhu Jain, Director, IIFL Foundation said, “We join the fight against COVID-19 in the very beginning and promptly contributed to the PM-CARES Fund. We also realise there is a shortage of personal protective equipment for medical workers and immediate need for food and other supplies for migrant labourers in the cities. We are happy to have been able to provide safety equipment to Kasturba Hospital, Seven Hills Hospital and Sion Hospital. We have partnered with industry body FICCI and CSR platform – Goodera – and sincerely appreciate their support in this process. Similarly, we partner with Saad Foundation to provide food and ration for a few hundred families every month.”
Dr Rajit Shah, MD, Radio-Diagnosis, Kasturba Hospital, Mumbai said, “We are grateful to IIFL for donating to the social cause of COVID-19. N95 masks and PPE’s arrived at the right time and when needed the most. Quality of all materials is top-notch.”
Abhishek Humbad, Founder and CEO of Goodera said, “IIFL showed very keen interest to support the frontline health workers with N95 masks and PPE kits in Mumbai. Our collaboration with government bodies, FICCI and NGOs along with a curated list of requirements at the hospital level, helped us to quickly conclude the procurement process and deliver to Kasturba Hospital through our implementation partners. We also enabled our virtual volunteering and donations platform for IIFL employees to join the cause. IIFL has set an excellent example for Corporates to contribute towards COVID relief.”
Vaman Kamble, President, Saad Foundation said, “We are delighted with the timely support from IIFL Foundation. This has helped us to provide food and ration to 100 families for a month.”
APM Terminals Pipavav
The APM Terminals Pipavav port is running 24X7 due to the concerted efforts of all the stakeholders of APM Terminals Pipavav that has resulted in the smooth functioning of the port ever since the lockdown was announced in March 2020.
The port operations are proceeding safely and efficiently despite some challenges. The port handled over 35 vessels and more than 175 rakes since the lockdown without any delay. The port has created additional yard space and working with extended logistics partners to ensure the smooth flow of goods and help address any emergent supply chain needs.
The pre-emptive steps taken by the various government bodies at the State and National level, by the Local Administration and the Customs Team to digitise the paperwork for quick cargo movement are commendable.
According to Jakob Friis Sorenson, Managing Director, APM Terminals Pipavav, “We are grateful to the Central and State Government agencies, Gujarat Maritime Board, the Railways, the District Administration, the Local Police, the Customs Department, etc. for supporting the port in conducting continuous operations and keeping the wheels of the supply chain moving.”
The Port continues to take stringent precautionary measures as per various statutory guidelines to ensure the safety of the employees, workforce and the community around.