BENGALURU: A day after the US President Joe Biden announced lifting of embargo on vaccine raw material exports and helping India tide the deadly coronavirus wave, global tech giants have come forward to support India’s fight against Covid-19. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said he was “heartbroken” and would help India with its shortage of oxygen supplies.
“I’m grateful the US government is mobilizing to help. Microsoft will use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices,” he said.
Similarly, Google head Sundar Pichai, who was born and schooled in the southern Indian city of Chennai, said he was devastated” by events and the firm would provide $18m (Rs. 135 crore) in funding.
This includes two grants from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, totalling Rs 20 crore ($2.6 million). The first is to GiveIndia to provide cash assistance to families hit hardest by the crisis to help with their everyday expenses.
The second will go to UNICEF to help get urgent medical supplies, including oxygen and testing equipment, to where it’s needed most in India. It also includes donations from our ongoing employee giving campaign so far over 900 Googlers have contributed Rs 3.7 crore ($500,000) for organizations supporting high-risk and marginalized communities,” he said.
E-commerce giant Amazon on Tuesday also said that it will airlift 100 ICU ventilator units from the US into India , working in coordination with the country’s ministry of health and family welfare. The e-tailer is also working with a non-for-profit organization of various Indian start-ups, ACT Grants to import over 8000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore.
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg said the company is working with UNICEF and giving $10 million to emergency response efforts. Earlier, Apple CEO Tim Cook also expressed his concern and said it will donate to support efforts to fight Covid-19. However, Cook, at this stage, did not give details.