Oxygen, medical help pour in from Indian auto companies among shut downs

INDIA YAMAHA: India Yamaha has suspended manufacturing operations at its plants to support the government in its fight against Covid-19 and break the chain of Covid-19 transmission. In the current scenario, the health and safety of its employees is the top priority for the company. Yamaha will continue to work closely with its dealers and suppliers to minimize the impact of this interruption and focus on optimisation of stock. The employees working at the corporate office and area offices shall work from home to preserve business continuity while providing the best possible support to customers and business partners.

Yamaha is fully committed to the health protocols in the wake of the Covid-19 threat. As a responsible corporate, it has updated standard operating procedures for the prevailing second wave with a focus on enhanced health surveillance, expediting vaccinations, regular sanitization at factory premises and workplaces, support to affected employees and their family members, and HR policies that ensures well-being of all the employees.

HYUNDAI MOTOR INDIA FOUNDATION: Hyundai Motor India Foundation (HMIF), the philanthropic arm of Hyundai Motor India, announced its CSR Project ‘Back-to-life’ ensuring the uninterrupted delivery of lifesaving medicare oxygen equipment to most affected COVID -19 states - New Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Haryana and Telangana. The entire project has been accelerated from procurement to delivery, thereby meeting the critical need of the hour and supporting affected patients to quickly transition from despair to normalcy.

Under its Hyundai Cares 3.0 Covid-19 relief initiative, HMIF has expedited purchase and supply of critical medical equipment to ensure a speedy turnaround in providing assistance to government hospitals with lifesaving Medicare Oxygen equipment like Oxygen Concentrators, High Flow Oxygen (HFO) Plants, High Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) Machines and BiPap Ventilator Machines.

Lifesaving Medicare Oxygen equipment to be delivered to most affected COVID-19 states:

• Oxygen Concentrators: 700

• High Flow Oxygen (HFO) Plants: 10

• High Flow Nasal Oxygen (HFNO) machines: 200

• BiPap Ventilator Machines: 225

Hyundai will support government identified hospitals for installing the oxygen generation plants. This will aid critical patients immediately and also assist the hospitals in becoming self-sufficient for oxygen in the long run. Additionally, Hyundai will also donate medical consumable for staff in various hospitals.

While HMIF has announced a relief package of Rs 20 crore to combat the current second wave of the pandemic, Hyundai Motor India Foundation previously committed Rs 30 Crore to help affected states and societies cope with the prevailing adversities.

As part of Hyundai’s road map of giving back to society, a series of initiatives have been taken to assist the Government in the battle against COVID-19. The initiatives include:

• Donation of Rs 7 Crore to PM CARES Relief Fund

• Donation of Rs 5 Crore to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Relief Fund

• Hand Over of Imported COVID-19 Advanced Diagnostic Test Kits worth Rs 4 Crore

• Strategic Partnership with Air Liquide Medical Systems to augment the production and supply of 1000 ventilators; In-house Development of Ambu Bag Actuator

• Distribution of PPEs, masks & other safety kits in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi &Haryana

• Distribution of dry rations in Delhi and Tamil Nadu to adversely impacted sections of society

From distribution of Masks, Sanitizers, Dry Rations, COVID-19 Testing Kits and augmenting the supply of ventilators, Hyundai was quick to drive a wide variety of relief initiatives.

TATA MOTORS: Tata Motors announced that the customers whose warranty and free service period (not kms.) are due to expire between April 1, 2021 and May 31, 2021, will be extended till June 30. 2021.

According to Dimple Mehta, Head – Customer Care (Domestic & IB), PVBU, Tata Motors, “The Covid 19 upsurge has led to restrictions on movements and customers across the country are unable to bring or send their vehicles to our authorized service centers for scheduled maintenance or repairs. Hence a challenge when warranty and free service periods as per policy norms get expired during the on-going lockdown. We are committed to our customers and are offering them utmost support in these tough times by extending their warranty and free service period till 30th June 2021. Through this initiative we are enhancing our brand connect with customers and are offering them a hassle free ownership experience.”

HONDA INDIA FOUNDATION: Honda India Foundation, the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm of all Honda group companies in India, announced its fresh support and relief measures with an aim to contribute towards the Government of India’s ongoing efforts against COVID-19. The foundation is closely working with State Governments of Haryana, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat and has earmarked a sum of Rs 65 million towards these relief measures in this phase.

Atsushi Ogata, Chairman, Honda India Foundation said, “This second wave of COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of us adversely. At this hour of need, it is imperative that more individuals and organizations come forward to help in cohesion and we do our best for the community we operate in and for the country, at large. We hope that these efforts by the government and the industry can help families as they tide through this calamity. We are working with various stakeholders to ensure that on-ground efforts can run seamlessly. It is time to stand together for each other, with the belief that we will sail through this.”

As part of this aid, the Foundation will be setting up temporary Covid Care isolation centers and oxygen production plants. A 100 bed facility is being created at Honda’s warehouse facility in Manesar in Haryana and another 50-100 bed facility at the Government Girl School in Tapukara, Rajasthan. Similar isolation centers are being explored in other locations.

The foundation is also working with State Governments to set up Oxygen Production Plants in the districts of Kolar (Karnataka), Gautam Budh Nagar (Uttar Pradesh), Alwar (Rajasthan) and Manesar (Haryana).

Honda India Foundation has already started an extensive distribution exercise to help the local administration’s efforts in all the 5 states by providing Protection kits (PPE, Mask, Sanitisers) and Food packets for front line warriors and medical equipment such as pulse oximeter, thermometers, oxygen concentrators for government hospitals in rural areas.

MARUTI SUZUKI: Maruti Suzuki India Ltd. (MSIL) realised the critical importance of rapidly installing oxygen PSA plants, both to produce life-saving oxygen as well as reduce the immense logistical problems. It was found that these plants are being made by small scale units with very limited resources or ability to scale-up production. It located two companies in the NCR area, Airox Nigen Equipments Pvt Ltd and SAM Gas Projects Pvt Ltd. They were flooded with orders but had a capacity to manufacture only 5-8 plants a month. Maruti Suzuki decided to use its own resources to help scale-up their production.

MSIL started talking to them from the May 1 and quickly reached an understanding with them. While technology, quality and performance, as well as all commercial matters, would remain the responsibility of the two companies, MSIL and its vendors would use their capabilities to rapidly scale up production. MSIL’s involvement would be on a no profit basis.

Airox has its factory in Ahmedabad and SKH Metals, a vendor, is working with them. MSIL has been able to arrange new sources for Zeolite, an imported material and critical for a PSA plant. This will be air freighted. Compressors are another important bought-out component. Airox has already reached an output of one PSA plant a day and this number will be rapidly scaled up to 4 per day within May itself. Output in May is expected to be 50-60 plants.

SAM Gas Projects Pvt Ltd is being assisted by Maruti Suzuki vendor JBML. MSIL is helping with all critical inputs. This company is expected to produce 20-30 plants in May.

MSIL and its vendors will procure oxygen plants from these two companies and donate them for medical use. A separate MSIL team is working to ensure that the plants when produced are installed and commissioned as fast as possible.

The top management of MSIL is involved in coordinating and monitoring this activity and hopes that it will make some difference in the national fight against Covid.