Aditya Birla Group commits Rs 500 cr for Covid-19 fight

The Aditya Birla Group on Friday committed Rs 500 crore towards Covid-19 relief measures, of which Rs 400 crore will go to the PM-CARES Fund.

This is one of the highest contributions from a corporate till date.

The Kumar Mangalam Birla-led USD 48.3 billion conglomerate will be contributing Rs 400 crore to the PM-CARES Fund, Rs 50 crore to FICCI-AdityaBirla CSR Centre for Excellence for Covid-19 relief measures and Rs 50 crore to supply ventilators, masks and protective equipment, a statement said.

A host of leaders from India Inc have been pooling-in resources to fight the pandemic, which has affected over 2,400 people in India and also taken 60 lives already.

"Given the severity of the disruption, there is a compelling need for a multi-pronged response that includes financial and material support, healthcare assistance and community responsibility," Rajashree Birla, the chairperson of AdityaBirla Centre for Community Initiatives and Rural Development, said.

Apart from this, the group will be activating a 100-bed Covid-19 facility at Seven Hills Hospital in suburban Mumbai, in partnership with the city's civic body, to be spearheaded by Neerja Birla, the statement said.

It has also earmarked more than 200 beds for Covid-19 patients across locations including Ujjain, Pune, Hazaribagh, Rayagada, Solapur and Kharach.

The Rs 50 crore allocation for equipment will include supply of 1 million N95 masks, 2.80 lakh personal protective equipment (PPE) as well as ventilators, it said.

The statement said the group, which also has interests in textiles, has already commenced production of 1 million triple layer surgical masks and 1 lakh coverall garments with the support of the Textiles Ministry.

It has also involved community and self-help groups in home production of lakhs of masks across several locations and is undertaking awareness activities in 200 locations.

"TheAdityaBirla Group recognizes that no contribution can be too large or small, given the enormity of the pandemic. Every effort counts. The Group will continue to extend whatever support is feasible to help fight the pandemic and restore normalcy," it said.

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the Neerja Birla-headed initiative for mental health, MPower, announced a round-the-clock helpline in partnership with the Maharashtra government and the financial capital's civic body to help people.

Anybody going through difficulties can call on the toll-free helpline 1800-120-820050 and speak with experienced and trained mental health counsellors from MPower to deal with the challenging times, the statement said.