Bajaj pledges `200 crore, Tata to fly in O2 tankers

Bajaj Group on Tuesday committed Rs 200 crore to India's fight against the deadly second wave of Covid-19, which has paralysed Asia's third biggest economy, even as India's biggest conglomerate, Tata Group, assembled its resources to save precious lives lost from a severe shortage of oxygen.

The Baja Group's pledge of Rs 200 is in addition to the Rs 100 crore that the group had donated last year to fight the pandemic.

The Pune-based auto major said the financial support will be utilised to alleviate the on-ground challenges and to build capability and stock resources to tackle a possible third wave.

Bajaj Group facilitated in the procurements of 12 oxygen plants to provide more than 5,000 LPM (litres per minute) supply to rural and urban hospitals along with medical life-saving equipment like oxygen concentrators, ventilators and BiPaps (Bi-level positive airway pressure) to help in treating patients suffering from Covid-19.

"We wish to extend our deepest gratitude to all healthcare, sanitation & emergency support staff and local administrations for their dedicated and tireless effort to contain the spread, amidst adversity.

"As the nation grapples with this second wave of the pandemic, we as a group, continue to remain steadfast in our commitment towards extending all our support and care in helping the affected communities at large to tide through these unprecedented times," Rahul Bajaj, chairman-emeritus at Bajaj Auto, said.

Tata Group will airlift 60 cryogenic oxygen tankers from abroad and build around 400 oxygen generating units that can be used by hospitals in smaller towns.

Besides, the group makes around 5,000 beds available for Covid-care, with various group firms coming together in the fight against Covid-19.

The group is also reskilling some of its staff, especially within Indian Hotels, which has converted many of its hotels into Covid-care facilities.

"As we speak, we are making available around 900 MT of oxygen per day, that is Tata Steel alone," said Banmali Agrawala, president-infrastructure, defence & aerospace and global corporate affairs, Tata Sons.

Agrawala also lauded the government for providing planes from the Air Force to bring some of the containers.