BENGALURU: A day after US President Joe Biden announced the lifting of the embargo on the exports of vaccine raw materials and helping India tide the Coronavirus wave, aid has started pouring in from the top global tech giants.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a statement that he was heartbroken by the current situation in India. ”I’m grateful the US government is mobilizing to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices,” he added.
On Tuesday, e-commerce giant Amazon said that it would airlift 100 ICU ventilator units from the US to India, working in coordination with the country’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The e-tailer also said that it is working with a non-profit organization of various Indian startups, ACT Grants to import over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore into the country.
The e-tailer said that it is working closely with Medtronic (MT) for these units to be airlifted into India. "we expect the consignment to enter the country in the next two weeks. Amazon India is working closely with the MoHFW appointed agencies to finalize the hospitals with the most urgent need so that Amazon can partner with MT for end-to-end delivery, installation, maintenance, and training of personnel who will use these machines," the company said in a statement.
Earlier, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that the tech firm will donate to the relief support and medical aid supplies in India. “Amid a devastating rise of COVID cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family, and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic. Apple will be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground,” Cook said in a statement.
On Monday, Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced Rs 135 crore ($18 million) aid to India to help with direct cash for low-income families as well as augment medicine supplies. “This includes two grants from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, totaling 20 Crore INR ($2.6 million USD). 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 more than 900 Googlers have contributed 3.7 Crore INR ($500,000 USD) for organizations supporting high-risk and marginalized communities,” Pichai said in a statement.