India Inc steps up to fight COVID-19 |
Indian business and industry is stepping up to fighting the growing menace of the ongoing second COVID-19 wave. India Inc is not only working towards enhancing the health treatment infrastructure such as oxygen supply, drug availability, and supply of beds, but is also working towards keeping manufacturing establishments running by following guidelines, creating team bubbles, and using technology. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) said it has identified 100 companies across India that either manufacture or use oxygen in their plants and have been asked to divert oxygen for the healthcare needs in their states. Steel plants need a lot of oxygen for steelmaking yet several manufacturers are now reducing their oxygen requirement and are diverting the same for the healthcare requirements within their state. The oxygen-producing companies too are ramping up their production. Steel plants and large petrochemical plants that have large oxygen generating facilities will now provide medical use oxygen. While not all facilities can generate them, the modern ones can do so and they have already started doing that. Over the next few weeks, it should be able to cater to the requirement. While ramping up an oxygen plant is a very simple process, businesses day that clarity is needed on who will buy, what quantity and at what price. Just like the pricing was fixed for Remdesivir, pricing needs to be set for Oxygen cylinders too and that would help in enhancing its production. Keeping plants running and reducing uncertainty about the workforce`s livelihood, manufacturing setups had big learning from last year`s experience when people lost jobs due to the closure of plants or businesses forcing migrant workers to hit the road along with their families. While policy initiatives have been much more reasonable this time and manufacturing has continued with a focus on safety, even the industry has reacted in a better way. The companies are also setting up quarantine centers to take care of their employees and workers and not burdening the hospital infrastructure with that.
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