Lupin contributes Rs 21 cr for COVID-19 relief efforts

Pharma major Lupin on Saturday announced contribution of Rs 21 crore for relief efforts directed towards mitigating the COVID-19 crisis.

The company's global giving program comprises three separate contributions made by its employees, the company and the promoter family, Lupin said in a statement.

Lupin's employees have given their two days' salaries, together contributing a sum of Rs 5.5 crore to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM CARES Fund), it said.

"The company has matched an equal sum of Rs 5.5 crore for direct initiatives that the company will implement to support overburdened national and state healthcare systems through donation of personal protective equipment, medicines and providing meals for front-line workers and the needy," Lupin said.

In addition, the promoter Desh Bandhu Gupta family has committed a sum of Rs 10 crore for other direct impact initiatives in India and elsewhere in the world to supplement Lupin's relief efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis, it added.

As one of the leading pharmaceutical companies globally, Lupin remains committed to ensuring uninterrupted supply of medicines across India and global markets while ensuring safety of our personnel involved, Lupin MD Nilesh Gupta said.

"We are grateful for this opportunity to support those who are at the front-line of this battle against COVID-19," he added.