Corporate India chips in for PM-CARES Fund: HDFC Group pledges Rs 150 cr support; StanChart commits Rs 5 cr

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the formation of a relief fund on 28 March, Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund or PM CARES Fund where people help in the government’s fight against coronavirus, industrial houses are persistently contributing to the fund.

Financial services conglomerate HDFC Group on Thursday said it has committed Rs 150 crore to the PM-Cares Fund to support the government for its relief and rehabilitation measures towards the Covid-19 pandemic.

“These are uncertain and trying times for all of us. The HDFC Group’s support to the PM Cares Fund is to commend the exemplary efforts of the Central & State governments, armed and paramilitary forces, local police, healthcare professionals and sanitation workers across the country, who are working tirelessly day in and out to fight the pandemic,” HDFC Ltd chairman Deepak Parek said in a statement.

Standard Chartered Bank announced its commitment to donate Rs 5 crore to support the fight against COVID-19 virus in India.

The bank will be working with multiple non-government organisation (NGO) partners to provide relief to the vulnerable communities including the migrant workers in the initial stages.

StanChart will partner with United Way of Mumbai, Swades Foundation and CII Foundation for supply of rations, meals and essentials to the most-needy sections of the communities, who have been harshly impacted by this pandemic and are facing significant disruption in their livelihoods.

Among the vulnerable groups, migrant labourers have been worst affected during these trying times, as economic activity remains severely disrupted.

This activity will be undertaken across several parts of the country including major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Baroda) and rural areas (Sundarbans, Jaunpur, Tonk and Marathwada).

AESL contributes Rs 1 cr to PM CARES Fund

Aakash Educational Services Limited (AESL), the player in the test preparation services, has given Rs 1 crore to the government to combat coronavirus outbreak in the country.

Out of this, Rs 50 lakh have been donated to the PM CARES Fund and the remaining Rs 50 lakh to the Delhi Police Welfare Society.

Aakash Chaudhry, director and CEO, AESL, said, “To mitigate the impact that the current lockdown may have on students’ learning process, AESL has also adopted various measure—LIVE online classes, online courses, making available tests, curriculum and course material online and enable teachers to connect with their students via social media applications and online platforms.”

Kusum Healthcare pledges Rs 2.50 cr 

Kusum Healthcare, one of India’s leading pharmaceutical manufacturer,announced a donation of Rs 2.50 crore to the PM CARES Fund to help India fight against COVID-19.

The company believes that this donation would help the government in the fight against COVID-19.

Additionally, the employees of Kusum Healthcare donated one-day’s salary to the PM CARES Fund, amounting to Rs 9 lakh.

“With COVID-19 spreading throughout the world, we want to assist our fellow citizens in this time of great need, and this contribution to the PM CARES Fund is a small step towards that,” said Sanjeev Gupta, managing director, Kusum Healthcare.

Kusum Healthcare also is taking all possible steps to meet the needs of its global customers while operating safely and effectively to minimise the risks of COVID-19 to its employees and customers globally.

Kusum Healthcare is a part of the Kusum Group of Companies, a fully integrated, young pharmaceutical group, with its headquarters in New Delhi. The company has three state of the art WHO GMP certified and PIC/s compliant manufacturing units in Bhiwadi Rajasthan and Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

Founded in 1997, Kusum Healthcare manufactures formulations for all major specialties including Gynecology, Orthopedic, Dermatology, General Medicine, Rheumatology, Neurology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Urology and more.

The Byke Hospitality offers properties for quarantine facility

The Byke Hospitality, a group of vegetarian hotels and resorts in India, said that it extended support to local authorities and offered its properties for quarantine facility, whenever the need arises.

The hotel group said it is open to give any support the government may need and has already established one such quarantine centre at their Thane service apartment. The local authorities can use the service apartment if there is an increase in the number of patients needing quarantine facility, it said.

Present in 21 strategic locations across the country, The Byke Hospitality informed the local authorities that they are open to give out the spaces for any relief activity at this time of COVID-19.

The Byke Hospitality tied up with Lions Club and a body namely ‘My Green Society’ to help daily wage workers by providing essential grocery items to their families.

Anil Patodia, CMD, said, “We have informed the local authorities that we are willing to convert our property spaces as full-fledged quarantine facility, whenever the need arises. We are also reaching out to the daily wage earners and helping them with essential items to help them survive with dignity in these trying times.”

The Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-Cares Fund) was set up on March 28 to raise money for combating coronavirus outbreak and to provide relief to the affected.