Mahindra Group offers generous Covid-19 provisions
Indian multinational conglomerate the Mahindra Group has proposed constructive measures for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic
These include a lockdown for the next few weeks, as well as offering up the facilities of the Group's hospitality arm as medical care facilities while the Group works on how its manufacturing facilities can make ventilators.
Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said in a series of tweets: "Going by various reports from epidemiologists, it is highly likely that India is already in stage-3 of transmission. Cases could rise exponentially with millions of casualties, putting a huge strain on medical infrastructure.
"A lockdown over the next few weeks will help flatten the curve and moderate the peak pressure on medical care. However, we need to create scores of temporary hospitals and we have a scarcity of ventilators.
"To help in the response to this unprecedented threat, we at the Mahindra Group will immediately begin work on how our manufacturing facilities can make ventilators.
"At Mahindra Holidays, we stand ready to offer our resorts as temporary care facilities."
Mahindra said that the Group's project team stands ready to assist the government and the Army in erecting temporary care facilities, and also said that the Mahindra Foundation will create a fund to assist small businesses and the self-employed.
In addition, he said he will contribute 100 per cent of his salary to the fund and add more over the next few months, while encouraging ‘associates to voluntarily contribute’: "I urge all our various businesses to also set aside contributions for those who are the hardest hit in their ecosystems."
We at ITIJ are delighted to hear of news of companies going above and beyond to assist in this hour of need.