While staring at loss in sales and production on account of the coronavirus outbreak, India Inc has joined hands with the government to extend its support in fighting this medical emergency. Anand Mahindra, the chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra, has offered 100 per cent of his salary to deal with the rising Covid-19 situation and has directed his group to immediately begin work on manufacturing of ventilators at its own factories as the pandemic appears to be reaching the stage 3 of transmission.
He also added that if required, Mahindra Holidays will offer resorts as temporary care facilities and the group’s project team stands ready to assist the government in erecting the temporary care facilities.
Other players have also joined hands. While extending paid leave to all its employees, mining major Vedanta Ltd on Sunday announced the setting up of a Rs 100 crore fund to support daily wage workers and employees along with healthcare measures for the communities staying in and around its plant locations.
“Vedanta Ltd today announced setting up of a dedicated Rs 100 crore fund as part of its endeavour to join ranks with the Government of India to combat the widespread outbreak of deadly Covid-19. The fund will cater to three specific areas such as livelihood of the daily wage worker, employees and contract workers, and preventive health care. It will provide timely help to communities in and around various plant locations of the company,” Vedanta said.
The group has also decided to provide special one-time insurance to cover its employees and their families against coronavirus. Consumer goods companies Dabur and HUL have announced slashing the price of hand sanitisers.
Another company, PharmEasy, offered the government to digitise health records of patients who are tested positive or under quarantine, as well as people with travel history who are advised to stay in self-isolation. State-run telecom firm MTNL will offer double data in all broadband plans of landline and mobile phones for a month in Delhi and Mumbai to help people work from their homes during the crisis.
Corporates told to ease economic burden of staff
Last week, the government had asked industry chambers to notify their corporate members to pay employees’ salaries on time and prevent the virus outbreak from adding to the economic woes of their workers.