By 10 April 2021, India had administered 100 million vaccinations in the record span of 85 days. Even if the numbers are the highest in the world, we have a long way to go to cover the entire population. As the second wave of Covid-19 spreads across the country, the government of India is attempting to increase the number of people being vaccinated, with the goal of immunising most of the population. For the uninterrupted supply of vaccines, the government is also bringing in Sputnik V as the third vaccine to get emergency use approval, after the Serum Institute’s Covishield and Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin.
“The government has managed to scale up significantly in a short span of time and there will be a further increase in the weeks to come as we are looking at vaccinating at least five million persons per day. India has the requisite capacity just as, under the Polio immunisation programme, the government had managed to vaccinate 170 million children in a week,” explains N.K. Arora, a member of the national task force on Covid-19.
To support this drive and reduce the burden on the government, a number of industry units, including automotive companies, have come forward to help their employees by sponsoring vaccinations. In keeping with its commitment to ensure the safety and well-being of its people, Hero MotoCorp has initiated a Covid-19 vaccination drive across the organisation, including its permanent and contractual employees. The company will bear the cost of vaccinating its workforce. It will also facilitate similar vaccination initiatives across its group companies.
It is also working closely with its dealers and supply chain partners to facilitate vaccinations for its employees across its ecosystem. More than 80,000 employees will be covered under this initiative. “We, at Hero, have always believed in the holistic development of our employees as well as society at large. With the government opening up the vaccination process against the Corona virus for the corporate sector, we have decided to vaccinate our workforce and other stakeholders within the extended Hero family at no cost,” say company officials.
Another two-wheeler maker, TVS Motor, will provide free vaccinations for all group employees and their immediate family members. This vaccination drive is in line with the ongoing government guidelines and will cover 35,000 direct and indirect employees across the country. “We have strived to provide complete support to our employees and their extended family members through the pandemic, ranging from apps for emergency requirements, doctor-on-call, Covid awareness communication and mental wellness programmes,” says R Ananda Krishnan, EVP, Human Resources, TVS Motor. “With this vaccination drive, we continue our endeavour to prioritise the health and safety of all our employees and their families.”
Volvo Car India also plans to bear the cost of vaccinating its employees against Covid-19. This benefit will extend to their spouses, children and parents too. “Safety is an integral part of Volvo’s ethos. During the last one year, we have worked with the utmost care and concern for the safety and well-being of our employees. We had put in place stringent health-related protocols during this period. Now, with the government opening up more age groups in its vaccination drive, we are encouraging our employees to get themselves and their family members vaccinated,” says Jyoti Malhotra. MD, Volvo Car India.
Rapido, India’s bike taxi platform has come out with the innovative idea of its #RideToVaccinate initiative and pledges support to the vaccination drive by providing free rides to citizens in Delhi NCR to and from 12 eligible hospitals. The initiative is aimed at providing a safe and accessible commute option to senior citizens eligible for vaccination. “With the country undertaking the largest vaccination drive in the world, as corporate citizens, we at Rapido want to emphasise the importance of vaccination among the elderly and those above 45, in the face of the pandemic,” said Aravind Sanka, co-founder, Rapido, on the launch of the #RideToVaccinate programme. “We are offering 100 per cent off on rides up to Rs50 to all citizens in Delhi NCR.”
Prioritising health and well-being ridesharing company Ola Cabs will cover vaccination costs for all employees and dependents. The vaccination drive will also be extended to all the direct contractual employees, consultants, advisors of the company and their immediate dependents, including spouses, children and parents, comprising more than 24,000 people. The company is partnering with the relevant authorities to conduct the vaccination drive.
“We are happy to announce that Ola has decided to cover vaccination costs across the group,” says Ola spokesperson Varun Dubey. “At Ola, we prioritise the health and well-being of not only our employees and their loved ones but also our extended family, who work directly with us, including advisors and consultants. While this vaccine is voluntary, it is also one of the most effective tools to fight against Covid-19. As the government gears up for the next phase of the vaccination drive, we encourage all our employees and their families to opt for the vaccine and fight against Covid-19.”
SKF India too has announced cost coverage for Covid-19 vaccinations for all employees and their immediate family members. “We believe that covering the cost of vaccination for our employees and their immediate family members expresses our gratitude for their persistent support and absolute trust in us,” announced Gautam Kumar, CHRO, Director HR, SKF India.
“We encourage vaccination for our people who are eligible and choose to receive the vaccine to protect themselves and their families and help our nation fight Covid.” ZF India, a leader in driveline and chassis technology will cover the cost of vaccinations for all its on-roll employees in India and their dependents, including parents. It will also support contract workers and support staff.
Companies in other sectors, such as SBI General Insurance, on their part, have extended support to the vaccination drive, under their CSR initiatives. SBI General Insurance will cover the cost of two shots of vaccination, for low-income groups in Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. “We are driven by a mission to serve the most vulnerable communities and people at risk with sustainable interventions that can help in transforming their lives,” says PC Kandpal, MD & CEO, SBI General Insurance.
We have strived to provide complete support to our employees and their extended family members through the pandemic, ranging from apps for emergency requirements, doctor-on-call, Covid awareness communication and mental wellness programmes
Aakash Educational Services has announced that it will be taking care of the complete vaccination cost for all its employees and one dependent each across India. This will amount to 5,000 employees, plus one dependent each, for the two shots of vaccine.
Taking a step further to ensure better healthcare facilities for its associates, ADP India has stated that it will sponsor the vaccines for all its employees. It will cover the cost of the total vaccine for over 50,000 beneficiaries in India spread across Hyderabad, Pune and Chennai, along with over 10,000 beneficiaries in the Philippines. “Our employees and their families are at the core of who we are as an organisation,” says Vipul Singh, divisional vice-president & head, HR, ADPI.
India is one of the major players in the global pharma and healthcare industry and the Covid-19 vaccines produced here have been sent across the world. Having hit the global and Indian economy hard last year, the pandemic is now posing a major threat again. All citizens need to follow some simple steps to protect themselves and others, including wearing a mask, washing one’s hands regularly and social distancing. This will help to avoid spreading the virus to others. If these rules are followed sincerely, India can win this battle against all odds.