Indian auto industry covid-19 relief: Part 4

MG MOTOR INDIA AMBULANCES FOR NAGPUR: Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport & Highways, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India recently requested Rajeev Chaba, President and Managing Director, MG Motor India and Paytm Founder & CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma to provide 100 ambulances equipped with modern life-saving system for Nagpur and Vidarbha.

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Accepting this, MG Motor immediately delivered eight units to Nagpur local authorities upon the appeal by the minister, while assuring the Minister to provide the remaining at the earliest.

Earlier in March, MG Motor India donated five units of retrofitted Hector ambulance to Nagpur’s Nangia Specialty Hospital. The Covid-19 cases are on the rise again in Nagpur and will help a common man in availing top-quality ambulance services. The Nangia Hospital and MG Motor came forward to offer state-of-the-art ambulance services for catering to the high demand during the second wave. The ambulance services were offered exclusively to Covid-19 patients living in Nagpur..

 The Hector Ambulances are custom-built by MG engineers at its Halol plant. They come equipped with a medicine cabinet with a five-parameter monitor, an auto-loading stretcher, ventilator, an oxygen supply system, an alternate power backup (invertor) with additional sockets, a siren, a light bar, and a fire extinguisher. MG has donated Hector ambulances to GMERS Hospital in Vadodara and CHC Hospital in Halol.

Features:  

1. Imported auto loading stretcher.

2. Oxygen system with cylinder.

3.  Jump seat for attendant -reuse rear seat to save cost.

4. Fire extinguisher.

5. Medicine Cabinet with 5 parameter Monitor.

6. Internal lighting and top light bar with siren and amplifier

7. Inverter with battery and sockets

8. Medical equipment

Under its community service umbrella MG Sewa, the carmaker is undertaking  various initiatives in these challenging times. In April 2021, it had also joined hands with Devnandan Gases Pvt. Ltd. in Gujarat and has supported in increased the production of oxygen by 15% per hour at one of the latter's plants in Vadodara within a week of the partnership and further aims to increase it by 50% soon. It recently also offered 200 beds for Covid-19 patients in Gurugram along with online platform Credihealth.

TOYOTA KIRLOSKAR MOTOR: Continuing its relief measures in the fight against Covid-19, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) announced that some of its employees would begin to contribute and support the National Doctor Helpline. About 60 TKM employees have been identified on a work-from-home model initially for a period of one month extendable as per need to support the helpline that provides tele consultation to Covid-19 patients. 

The volunteering TKM employees will assist Covid-19 patients to connect with the registered doctors. Their role will also include preparing doctor shifts besides helping ensure all those patients who call the helpline number can reach the doctors through proper scheduling and follow-ups. The 1st batch of volunteers are receiving the necessary online training from appointed agencies following which they will soon be deployed.

The volunteers are part of TKM’s ‘COVID Warriors Club’, which was formed to support the local communities and Government departments in dealing with the rising demand for medical care due to the COVID-19 infections. 

Besides the above initiative TKM is working towards providing essential medical equipment like oxygen concentrators, Ambu bags, bedside monitors among others to the local health departments.

CNH INDUSTRIAL (INDIA): CNH Industrial has undertaken a host of preventive measures to combat COVID-19 including daily temperature checking, maintaining social distancing, compulsory registration on the Arogya Setu app, the provision of safety gear including masks, gloves and eye-protection along with daily regular sanitization at all their facilities. Apart from these regular precautionary procedures, which have been in place since the onset of the pandemic, what sets CNH Industrial apart are an onslaught of additional measures undertaken to safeguard the health and safety of employees:

• Insurance for all the employees and their immediate families for COVID infection -A financial support of Rs 50,000 is provided to all those employees who are tested positive or are home quarantined.T here is also a Home Care Coverageof Rs 20,000 for all employees and their families per instance.

• CNH Industrial has forged a tie-up with Apollo Hospitals which has set up a dedicated 24x7 medical consultation helpline number for employees.

• A dedicated task force has been put in place to track all infected employees and arrange all the required assistance from coordinating with the hospital to arranging for beds (both ICU and general), and procuring medicine, oxygen, etc.

• The company has worked with their global counterparts in China and Italy to proactively source Oxygen concentrators to manage the current oxygen crunch in India.

• Employees are given the choice to work from home and have been asked to report on duty at Offices/ Plants only when required.

• All government guidelines are completely adhered to by the Company including 50% attendance norms or any as per government directives.

• Heads of Departments are directly in touch with their employees on a daily basis and report any health-related issues with the employee and or their family directly to management.

• The Company has deployed COVID Marshalls in factory premises to maintain social distancing amongst employees. Canteen facilities also follow the social distancing norms.

CNH Industrial has also undertaken a few initiatives under CSR to provide relief against COVID-19. The company has donated one lakh surgical masks and 50,000 bottles (100ml) of hand sanitizers to District administration of Greater Noida, Pune, Pithampur and Gurgaon for further donation to hospitals, frontline health workers based on urgencies and priorities mapped by Government. Testing Kits were also donated as part of our CSR to augment healthcare capacities of hospitals as well as frontline health care workers and first responders, as a service to the community.

CNH Industrial has donated six sets of tractors and sprayers majorly to municipal corporations that are in charge of sanitisation. These corporations normally use tractors and tractor mounted sprayers for sanitization of roads, localities, and residential areas to disinfect the environment as a control measure against COVID-19. The locations benefitting are: Greater Noida (3 locations - Nagar Palika Parishad Dadri, Nagar Panchayat Rabupura, Yamuna Expressway Authority), Gurgaon (1 location – Gurujal Society, Mini Secretariat), Pune (1 location - Khed Municipal Corporation, Chakan, Pune), and Pithampur (1 location - Nagar Palika Parishad, Pithampur, Dhar).

LANXESS INDIA: Lanxess India has committed over Rs 2.1 crore as part of its CSR spends to support the medical infrastructure in the country in its fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. To help medical institutions tackle the situation better, Lanxess India has donated twenty units of advanced German Ventilators worth approximately Rs 1.9 crores to hospitals in Thane & Mumbai (Maharashtra), Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh) and Ankleshwar & Bharuch (Gujarat).

The company donated these ventilators to nine hospitals in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat where the company has its sites and offices. These include Kaushalya Medical Foundation Trust Hospital and Bethany Hospital in Thane, Shushrusha Hospital in Mumbai, Jayaben Modi Hospital in Ankleshwar, Sevashram Hospital and Civil Hospital in Bharuch, and Patidar Hospital, J K Hospital and SS Hospital & Research Centre in Ujjain. The hospitals will use these ventilators for treatment of COVID-19 patients.

In addition, to combat the rising medical oxygen requirement in the country, LANXESS India supported the District Hospital, Ujjain with ten units of Oxygen Concentrators.

The company has also supported the Employee State Insurance Corporation Hospital (ESIC) in Nagda with Rs 10 lakh to help in upgrading their existing infrastructure and provide better medical assistance to the patients.

In 2020-21, Lanxess India had contributed over INR 3.6 crores as part of its CSR spends for Covid-19 relief. It included contribution of Rs 2 crores to the PM CARES Fund, 6 units of advanced German Ventilators to hospitals in Thane, donation of 1 tonne of its surface disinfectant, Rely+On Virkon and face masks among other relief materials.

Lanxess is a leading specialty chemicals company with sales of EUR 6.1 billion in 2020.

SPARK MINDA: Minda Corporation Limited, the flagship company of Spark Minda Group, announced to undertake an extensive free covid-19 vaccination drive for all its permanent and contractual employees across 30 offices and manufacturing locations in India. More than 15,000 employees will be covered under this initiative. The drive will cover two shots of the vaccine for all employees in phases, as directed by the health authorities, and will be implemented as per guidelines prescribed by the Government.

The vaccination drive from Spark Minda Group is in line with the ongoing protocols of the Government of India, wherein voluntary facilitation will be conducted across the states where Spark Minda Group has its manufacturing and operation facilities. Also, considering the necessity to prioritise health consultation during this time, the group also announced “medical tele-consultation” for Covid and non-Covid health issues through specialized doctors at pan India level for all employees and Associates in the country.

HONDA 2WHEELERS INDIA: Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. announced extension of warranty and free vehicle service benefits till July 31, 2021 across all its dealership networks pan-India.

This extension will be applicable for all Honda 2Wheeler India’s customers, whose vehicle’s free service, warranty and extended warranty was originally ending between 1st April 2021 and 31st May 2021.

With customer centric approach aims to reassure Honda customers facing restricted movement in several States and support them to avail these services at their convenience at a later date before 31st of July 2021, as lockdown eases.

Honda India Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of all Honda group companies in India, has earmarked a sum of Rs 65 million for Covid-19 support & relief measures in 5 states of Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, U.P and Gujarat. This includes setting-up of a 100-bed facility in Manesar and another 50-100 bed facility in Tapukara (Rajasthan). Honda is also setting up oxygen production plants in Manesar, Alwar (Rajasthan), Kolar (Karnataka) and Gautam Budh Nagar (UP). Parallely, HIF is reaching out to front-line warriors by distributing PPE, masks, sanitizers and also providing Government hospitals in rural areas with medical equipment like oxygen concentrators, pulse oximeters etc.

MAHINDRA SUPPORTS FARMERS: Mahindra & Mahindra’s Farm Equipment Sector, a part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group has rolled out ‘M–Protect Covid Plan’, a new customer centric initiative committed to support Indian farmers in these testing times.

Mahindra’s M-Protect Covid plan aims to safeguard new Mahindra tractor customers and their families against the eventuality of contracting COVID-19.

 Under the M–Protect Covid Plan, Mahindra will provide customers –

• A health cover of INR 1 lakh through a unique COVID Mediclaim policy to cover the customer in case they contract COVID-19 with home quarantine benefits.

• Financial support by providing pre-approved loans to support medical expenses incurred during COVID-19 treatment.

• Insuring a customers’ loan under ‘Mahindra Loan Suraksha’ in case of loss of life. 

The M-Protect Covid Plan will be available on Mahindra’s entire range of tractors purchased in May 2021.

HERO MOTOCORP:  Hero MotoCorp has partnered with the District Administration of Gurugram in Haryana to set-up a makeshift 100-bed Covid Care Centre in the city. Hero MotoCorp is supporting the Covid-19 Care Centre - set up at the Government Girls College in Sector 14, Gurugram – under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform “Hero We Care”.

Hero MotoCorp’s Covid-19 Relief Measures

• Hero MotoCorp recently partnered with the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kankhal (RMSK) at Haridwar in Uttarakhand for strengthening their healthcare system and response to Covid-19

• Additionally, Hero MotoCorp is also extending support to Covid-19 hospitals in various states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

• The company is also providing its motorcycles and scooters for safe, personal commuting by health workers and medical staff in several states, including Delhi & NCR, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat

• Hero MotoCorp has contributed oxygen cylinders for emergency medical use by some of the hospitals in Delhi and Haryana. The Company has been donating PPE Kits to the health authorities in various states for use by health workers

HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA: Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL) announced the extension of warranty, extended warranty and free services by 2 months for its most valued customers that are unable to avail services due to lockdown conditions in their cities or states. The initiative has been taken in line with Hyundai’s support to customers across the country during these challenging times.

Hyundai service facilities can also be experienced via 360 Degree Digital & Contact-less Service. From online service booking, vehicle status update, Pick & Drop from home /office to online payment facility, a touch free service experience is ensured for the customers, wherever they are and whenever they want to. With its strong network of more than 1300 workshops, Hyundai has always been at the forefront in providing the best ownership experience to its customers at a reasonable cost with value offerings like extended warranty, service packages & RSA programs.