Vedanta felicitates its COVID-Warriors

22 NGOs and partners awarded for their contribution towards COVID relief efforts

Bangaluru, June 11th 2020: Vedanta Cares, a unique digital initiative was launched and the first e-townhall with partners was hosted by Chairman Anil Agrawal recently to acknowledge & encourage the COVID warriors, who collaborated with the company in combating COVID 19 through community initiatives across 7 locations. Vedanta instituted a special Chairman’s Award to honour its partners, where Mr. Agarwal personally acknowledged each partner company and NGO which contributed significantly to Vedanta’s efforts in reaching out to beneficiaries like daily-wage earners and migrant workers who were worst affected by the pandemic. In this acknowledgment session, participants from partner companies and NGOs were awarded. Mr. Nand Kishore Bhatt, Chief Security officer, Vedanta, Value Added Business at Goa and Dr. Krishnamurthy, Resident Medical Officer at Vedanta- Iron Ore Karnataka Business were felicitated for their selfless and relentless efforts to combat unprecedented situation due to COVID-19 at Goa and Karnataka respectively.

Addressing the participants, Vedanta Chairman Anil Agarwal said “We have been fighting this crisis together with the nation. By going all out in serving the communities we have reiterated Vedanta’s philosophy of giving back. Our team has left no stone unturned in supporting the communities, working round-the-clock. I am grateful for the support and would like to acknowledge our partners, NGOs and each member of the Vedanta team, who battled this crisis as a family. We will continue working with the communities and the government administration which I am sure will inspire others in serving our communities, and I am hopeful that together we can survive this situation.

NGOs who were felicitated for their extensive contributions are Akshaya Patra Foundation,  DNR Foundation, Manjari Foundation, Barmer Jana Sewa Swanthan, and Social Revival Group of Urban and Rural Tribal (SROUT) and YODA.

Vedanta’s partner companies which were also awarded for their contributions are Tann Singh Chouhan & Company, Barmer, Schlumberger, Rajendra Mechanical Private Limited, Chennai Radha Engineering Works, M/s ISS Facility Services, M/s Western Carriers , M/s STEAG , M/s Wellspring Healthcare Pvt. Ltd., Lemon tree Hospitality Services, M/s Dinesh Kumar, NVJK, Drishti Foundation, Unilift Cargo Systems Pvt Ltd, Operational Energy Group India Pvt Ltd, Shrinath Travel Agency , Teknomin Construction Limited TCL.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Nand Kishore Bhatt, Chief Security Officer at Vedanta, Value Added Business said” I am honored and equally pleased to receive this award from Our Chairman. It gives me immense pride to be a part of Vedanta Family who consistently work for the betterment of communities around, with a broader vision of nation building and giving back to society”

Dr. Krishnamurthy, Resident Medical Officer at Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka Business said” I am very happy to be recognized by our Chairman, who is the inspiration for me. At Vedanta holistic community development and culture of care, being the top priorities, all my colleagues at Vedanta try to contribute towards community welfare all the time through all possible means.”

Speaking on the occasion, Sundeep Talwar, Chief Marketing Officer, The Akshaya Patra Foundation said “Akshaya Patra is privileged to be associated and recognized by our esteemed partners such as Vedanta. Our efforts and outcomes on the ground wouldn’t have been possible without critical and timely support from Vedanta. We believe in collaborative impact and hope that we sustain our efforts to minimize the impact of COVID outbreak on marginalized communities. “

Manjari Foundation, which runs Hindustan Zinc Limited’s flagship CSR initiative Sakhi Project which mobilizes rural women into self-help groups (SHGs) had actively participated in COVID relief efforts by HZL.  Speaking on the partnership, Sanjay Sharma, Executive-Director, Manjari Foundation said “Under HZL’s leadership, Sakhi SHG women have risen as strong community leaders. With the objective of ensuring “No One Sleeps Hungry” in our project villages, Sakhi federations, a woman-led institution came up with a food bank initiative. Sakhi members collected 10,000 kilograms of food grains in a short span of time, aiding the community to fight the pandemic. We acknowledge the timely and quick support of HZL for helping the community during troubled times”

Speaking on partnering with Vedanta for COVID relief efforts, Abhishek Kumar, General Secretary DNR Foundation said “I am truly honored to receive the Chairman’s Award for COVID-19. It is an incredible honour to be acknowledged for the work done for the communities in these distressing times. DNR Foundation feels humbled, but at the same time incredibly proud too. We will always try to achieve the vision of Hon. Chairman Sri Anil Agarwalji for the welfare of the community. Thanks to the Vedanta Team for giving us the opportunity to serve the daily wagers during this COVID crisis at Patna and Mumbai.”

Discon Masih, Director SROUT, who partnered with BALCO on its COVID relief efforts said “It is a matter of great honour to get recognition for the awareness and relief work done by SROUT during COVID -19. SROUT has always been a close partner of BALCO and we are thankful for the opportunities given to us. Hoping for more such collaborations in the future.”

Barmer Jan Sewa Sansthan, which partnered with Cairn in its efforts to aid communities in combating COVID was also felicitated. Speaking on the occasion Ramesh Mangal, Managing Trustee, BJSS said “I would like to express our deep gratitude for awarding us the prestigious Chairman’s Award and personally making the time to appreciate our hard work and sincere efforts undertaken during this critical situation of COVID-19 pandemic in Barmer district. We assure you that with your vision, constant support and able guidance from Cairn Oil & Gas team, we will keep on making a transformational and sustainable impact among local communities and generate shared value as well as goodwill for the company.”

YODA, the Maharashtra based animal welfare organization, which partnered with Vedanta in a unique initiative to feed stray animals during the lockdown was also acknowledged for its immense contribution. Speaking on the initiative, Pooja Sakpal, Co-Founder, YODA said “We are grateful to Vedanta for helping both people and animals in need during these times of crisis. Lots of blessings to the entire organization. We were able to feed 16,000 hungry animals each day, all thanks to this project and opportunity”

 Vedanta had contributed Rs 201 crores to PM CARES Fund, State funds, and providing relief measures across the country. To support the Government’s efforts, Vedanta employees had contributed one day’s salary to the PM CARES Fund. Under its flagship “Meal-for-all” program Vedanta has so far provided more than 13 lakh meals to less privileged communities across the country. Vedanta has also taken up the initiative to feed more than 50,000 stray animals every day. Under this initiative, Vedanta has so far provided more than 12.70 lakh feedings to stray animals in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, and Pune.

In Vedanta’s effort to enhance preventive healthcare, 7 lakh masks and 1 lakh soaps & sanitizers were manufactured and distributed across India. 23 PPE machines were imported in collaboration with the Ministry of Textiles, enabling the production of 40,000+ PPEs per week. A dedicated 24×7 helpline had been set up for employees and families for medical advice, in collaboration with Apollo Hospital.

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Dr. Fixit’s initiative to support contractors during critical pre-monsoon waterproofing of buildings amid COVID-19′

·         Pre-monsoon repairs, often critical, needed by 6-8 % of  buildings/ structures

·         To benefit 5000 + contractors, Dr. Fixit’s initiative will include safety certification training as per MHA, WHO guidelines along with training on advanced waterproofing techniques and mechanisation

·         It will be rolled out in 10 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata, Nagpur

Bengaluru, June 11, 2020: As the lockdown enforced to combat the COVID-19 pandemic eases, monsoon is set to enter the country. While it will bring general relief, the ensuing rains could well worsen the leakage issues faced by consumers in their houses and cause damage to structures. This will impact the large numbers of people living in buildings and homes that need serious preventive waterproofing before the rains arrive this year. It is expected that 6-8 % of buildings and structures may need critical pre-monsoon repairs. The waterproofing contractors play a crucial role in ensuring the structural integrity of buildings and depend upon the pre-monsoon work for a big part of their earnings.

However, consumers have heightened health & safety concerns this year and may be wary of workers entering their homes. It is necessary to address these consumer’s concerns as it may lead to reduced repair & waterproofing work impacting incomes for waterproofing community.

Keeping this in mind, Dr. Fixit, the construction and waterproofing expert from the house of Pidilite Industries Ltd, has rolled out multiple initiatives which will benefit thousands of hardworking waterproofing contractors. This will not only help them to safeguard their livelihoods but will also benefit those consumers who urgently need waterproofing.

The program has been rolled out across 10 cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Kolkata and Nagpur, and addresses two objectives.

Contractor/User safety training: The first is to train and certify contractors on all safety aspects they and their workers need to adopt to prevent contracting and spreading of COVID-19 while conducting site operations. Dr Fixit has launched a full-fledged training & certification program for contractors on how they can ensure their own safety and that of their workers, and consumers at the site of their work. The program imparts training and information about all precautions as per the guidelines of MHA and WHO. At the end the course, participants take a detailed exam, with successful participants being duly certified. 

The certification training, conducted over video conferencing, has been helping contractors allay fears of potential customers and prospect for fresh work with them to undertake waterproofing jobs.  Moreover, Dr Fixit has complemented the entire extensive training with an audio visual guiding users on how to handle site work during the Corona pandemic.

For effective job completion: The second objective isprovide technical training to contractors /users on advanced waterproofing techniques so that they can be equipped to complete all jobs faster, with fewer workers, and as per stringent quality standards.

To this end, the Dr Fixit teams have been providing technical training on advanced waterproofing techniques, including the use of mechanized tools and devices that would help them speedily complete and deliver their jobs to the best quality. Dr Fixit has partnered with multiple companies that manufactures these mechanization equipments and has been training its users on these machines.

For the mental peace of their hardworking and safety-trained contractors and their teams, Dr Fixit has stepped up to also provide them with free COVID insurance cover.

Mr. Nilesh Mazumdar, Chief Executive Officer, Construction Chemicals (Retail), Pidilite Industries, said, “Waterproofing contractors are extremely important spoke of our ecosystem as they help protect the integrity of buildings and homes. We are hopeful that this initiative will equip them to assure customers of complete safety and to do their critical waterproofing jobs efficiently without losing out on the key business period.”

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70% parents in Karnataka find online learning effective, says LEAD School Survey

BENGALURU, June 11, 2020: A recent survey byLEAD School, which is currently running the largest online school in the country, has revealed that the pandemic has caused major worry among parents of children belonging to class K-12.  The study shows that over 85% of parents are now more anxious about their child’s future prospects in society and the economy amid the COVID pandemic.

Interestingly, with the trend of online learning picking up in our country, the survey revealed that nearly 70% respondents in the state see online schooling as an effective mode of learning and believe that it should go hand-in-hand with physical schooling. Moreover, 76% parents in Karnataka think they’re able to support their child’s learning at home, a trend seen among both fathers and mothers. However, at the same time they also admitted that they are facing difficulties juggling between childcare and work.

The nationwide survey of nearly 5,000 parents from metro and non-metro cities presented some stark findings: 70% of parents feel quite worried about the impact of COVID on their child’s education. It is slightly more for parents of class 9 and 10 students; over 78% respondents are worried about their child’s health and safety; and nearly 40% parents have expressed concern about their child falling behind and missing out on a year of learning and education.

As per LEAD School data, parents in other southern states such as Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Telangana feel they have been able to support their child’s learning. On the other hand, parents in the states including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana feel they are not well equipped to support their child’s learning.

However, not surprisingly, 79% parents said that they are able to spend more quality time with their children – a trend observed in both metro and non-metro cities.

The nationwide survey was aimed at understanding some of the major concerns of Indian parents as respondents shared their experiences of how they are dealing with the schools being shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic and how it is impacting their decisions concerning their children.

LEAD School Cofounder & CEO, Sumeet Mehta said, “I understand the fear that parents have of sending their children to school. Our schools should provide a high quality online learning experience so that if we decide to not send our child to school, they are not disadvantaged. But we must equally respect the decision of parents who choose to send their children to school. Government must inspect regularly to ensure schools follow protocols and take up strict action against those who don’t, as it is the only way to build trust amongst parents and students both. Parents should exercise this choice and work collaboratively with schools as this trust based contract between parents and schools may end up being Covid-19’s biggest gift to Indian education.”

LEAD School recently released thePost Lockdown Handbook for Schools in India which lays down recommendations and guidelines on how to run schools post lockdown while achieving the twin objectives of student safety as well as excellent learning.

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Royal Enfield reopens retail network across India

Introduces digital sales and service initiatives to ensure customer safety

●      More than 90% of retail network now open – Sales and service operations resumed across more than 850 dealerships

●      Introduces online and digital initiatives to allow for Contactless Purchase and Service experience with maximum compliance to safety guidelines

Bangalore, June 10, 2020: Royal Enfield, the global leader in the mid-size motorcycle segment (250-750cc), today announced that it has reopened and resumed operations at more than 90% of its retail network across India. The company’s facilities, offices and stores across the country remained closed in compliance with government guidelines between March 22 and May 5, 2020. Since May 6, the company has gradually restarted its commercial and manufacturing operations in a phased manner. As of today, more than 850 stores and 425 studio stores across India are operational for sales and service. In Bangalore, Royal Enfield has resumed its sales and service operations with 20 stores and 1 studio store to offer seamless sales and service support to customers, with all necessary safety guidelines issued by the government. Overall, in Karnataka, 30 stores and 17 studio stores have commenced operations. While most of these stores are completely operational, the stores in certain cities are functioning partially or on alternate days as advised by local authority guidelines.

In an effort to enhance customer satisfaction and ensure maximum safety and convenience to customers, Royal Enfield has rolled out a slew of initiatives that offer Contactless Purchase and Service Experience. Through several digital and online conveniences and ‘At-your-doorstep’ services, Royal Enfield aims to provide customers a seamless and hassle-free purchase and ownership journey.

Speaking about the initiatives, Mr. Lalit Malik, Chief Commercial Officer, Royal Enfield, said, “Our focus is to bring more value and engagement to our customers across all levels of brand interaction to create an involved purchase and ownership experience that is seamless and hassle-free. These initiatives will ensure safety of our customers and give them more options to be connected with the brand, without compromising on the ownership experience. We have created an engaging and convenient online approach that brings the world of Royal Enfield to the customer’s fingertips, and allows him or her to remain connected with the brand. The array of online and digital customer-centric initiatives we’ve launched is an initial step towards the larger digital journey we will undertake. This is only just the beginning and we aim to introduce a plethora of new digital features that will facilitate seamless interaction, higher functionality and most importantly, an outstanding customer experience”

Customers can now bring home their favourite Royal Enfield motorcycle in three simple steps without as much as walking into a store. An Online Discovery of your favourite motorcycle on the Royal Enfield website can be followed by a Home Test Ride and an Online Booking facility available on the website itself. Customers can go through the gallery of motorcycle variants and colour options, choose genuine accessories to enhance appeal and functionality of the motorcycle, and have a look at the kitted-up motorcycle before booking it online. The customer can then connect with the closest local dealer and complete payment formalities through e-payment options available across Royal Enfield dealerships and the motorcycle can be delivered at the customer’s doorstep.

On the service front, Royal Enfield has deployed Service on Wheels – a fleet of mobile service-ready motorcycles. The Service on Wheels motorcycles are purpose-built, and equipped to carry tools, equipment and genuine spare parts to undertake almost 90% of all typical service and repair requirements at the doorstep of a customer, and will even be deployed as RoadSide Assistance vehicles. Service on Wheels is accompanied by authorised Royal Enfield technicians who strictly adhere to all safety related guidelines. E-payment options will be available to the customer for a truly contactless service experience. The Royal Enfield Service on Wheels motorcycles will be available across all dealerships by July. 

Should the customer choose to bring the motorcycle to the service centre, the company has a set of strict safety guidelines in place to ensure sanitization and distancing. Motorcycle pick-up and drop facilities will be available across select cities. All Royal Enfield stores and service centres will follow all prescribed safety precautions, including sanitization of facility and display and test vehicles, mandatory use of facemask, and thermal screening at the entrance for staff and visitors. All commercial transactions at the store and service centre will be accepted through online / digital payments only. The customer lounge at the store and workshop and the apparel trial rooms will remain closed.

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Welspun India Limited forays into the Health and Hygiene category with ‘Welspun Health’

Launches an array of products including masks, coveralls, disposable linens and wipes

Bangalore , 10 June, 2020:  Welspun India Limited, the global leader of home textiles, has announced its foray into the Health and Hygiene category with the launch of ‘Welspun Health’. This strategic pivot is aligned with the organisation’s aim to cater to consumers as well as front line workers’ requirements and support the nation and the world in its fight against the unprecedented global pandemic. Building on the company’s existing integrated woven and non-woven capabilities, Welspun Health is all set to offer an array of innovative hygiene products for medical professionals, institutional use as well as personal care products ranging from masks, wipes, medical gowns, disposable linen, coveralls, hand sanitizing wipes, surface disinfectant wipes and other relevant lifestyle products.

In the emerging ‘new normal’ world, it has become critical to focus on safety, health and hygiene. This has resulted in a significant shift in consumer behaviour and a rise in demand for both personal, industrial, and institutional sanitation solutions. Therefore, with care for people at the core of its business philosophy, Welspun stepped up and augmented the prowess of its vertically integrated technical textiles capabilities to manufacture high-quality personal protection equipment for the wellbeing of people. 

As a part of its wide range of offerings, the company will manufacture 250,000 masks per day including 3 ply surgical mask, reusable mask and N95 respirator. The company is in the advance stage of offering customisation and branding options to large and discerning buyers from a continuous print on medium to registered Logos on masks.

Under the Personal Protection Equipment, Welspun is producing 10,000 disposable coverall suits per day made from soft-lightweight fabric with taped seams and certified by SITRA. The coveralls made with pre-approved fabric medium, are in government approved laboratories and are undergoing secondary product certification and approvals under ASTM 1670 standards. Additionally, Welspun has developed 9 certified varieties of BLOOD PENETRATION BARRIER MEDIUM for making COVERALL PPEs. The company is also making washable medical gowns made from soft lightweight fabric for protection. 

Disposable linen category comprises bedsheets and pillow covers, towels, blankets as well as aprons. These products are comfortable, easy to use, cost-effective and specially designed to stop spreading infection through linens. Catering to everyday needs, Welspun is manufacturing a variety of disposable wipes like hand sanitising, surface disinfectant wipes, dry wipes and kitchen wipes made for personal and institutional use.

Welspun’s unit has been set up with multiple clean rooms, making them the only manufacturer producing/offering a wide range of personal care products in a class 100,000 environment. Their in-house laboratory makes the company self-reliant to conduct advanced tests and provide quality assurance levels that are unequalled at each stage of production. These advanced product performance tests, including tests for Bacterial Filtration Efficiency, Particle Filtration Efficiency, Synthetic Blood Penetration Factor, Flammability Tester and Respirator Résistance give the opportunity to design and build products that are safe for consumers.

Commenting on the launch, Ms. Dipali Goenka, CEO and Jt MD, Welspun India Limited said, “Guided by our core ethos of ‘people ahead of everything,’ we continue to develop innovative solutions under ‘Welspun Health’ that will help address the surging needs of the world due to the pandemic. As we combat the increasing spread of COVID-19, consumers have adopted a lifestyle centred on health, safety and hygiene. Catering to the ever-evolving customer as well as institutional needs, we have used our existing competence and enhanced our capabilities to introduce a wide range of certified, advanced Health & Hygiene products. With this launch, we are hopeful to fill an existing gap in the health and hygiene segment.”

Through this wide range of products under ‘Welspun Health’, the company will cater to pharmaceutical companies and e-tailers along with marking a presence on the shelves of general trade and modern trade across geographies.

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