BENGALURU: India’s tech startups and investment companies are pooling in resources to import oxygen concentrators from countries like China, Germany and the UAE as health facilities grapple with the shortage of oxygen amidst increasing COVID-19 cases.
Rahul Aggarwal and Varun Aggarwal, founders of the startup Designhill, along with other startup founders including Uday Anand, Shikher and Rahul Hari Saxena through their not-for-profit organization Democracy Foundation, have started a fundraiser on ketto.org to import oxygen concentrators from China and the supply is likely to arrive in India from Monday onwards.
Rahul said that the foundation has been able to raise over Rs 3 crore in just 12 hours to procure 500 concentrators. The requirement is especially high in states like Delhi, Maharashtra and Gujarat.
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The foundation in a post on ketto.org has also listed the number of oxygen concentrators that are required in major hospitals across Delhi -- the worst affected state during the second wave of COVID-19. “However, we have managed to procure 500 concentrators from China, which will be shipped out on Monday for India and we will be able to supply them to hospitals earliest by Wednesday. This is a 100% non-for-profit and charitable initiative,” the foundation said in a post on ketto.org
Logistics startup Delhivery's CEO Vikass Kapoor said in a Linkedln post that the company will be flying charters into India with oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies and can build more capacity on demand. "If you need help with logistics or wish to collaborate with us on this, please reach out to me immediately," Kapoor said.
Global investment firm Sequoia Capital said it is constantly coordinating with its China arm to be able to fly concentrators into India and is also pursuing leads to import the supplies from other countries.
Rikant Pitti of travel tech firm Ease My Trip told The New Indian Express that they are exploring logistics avenues to import nearly 150 concentrators by next week from China and the same will be supplied for free to needy persons and hospitals. He added that the oxygen concentrators right now available in Indian markets with 1 litre capacity onwards may not meet the purity requirements and should be checked carefully before purchases/renting. "We were also in touch with several suppliers from the UAE but due to the suspension of flights, the procurement has been halted," Pitti added.
ACT Grants, a foundation by India’s startups, said that it is planning to raise Rs 75 crore for home health management, oxygen solutions and supplementing the medical workforce.