India Inc, Global Inc Express Concern Over India's COVID Crisis, Urge To Take Strongest National Steps

 At this critical juncture when the toll of lives is rising, the CII President urged the strongest national steps, including curtailing economic activity to reduce suffering.

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Mumbai: Chieftains of India Inc. and Global Inc. are concerned over rising COVID-19 cases in India and believe that the "worst is yet to come."

Urging for the highest level response measures to address the rising wave of Covid-19 cases, billionaire banker Mr. Uday Kotak said, "Given the current pandemic situation, safeguarding lives is of utmost priority, and nationwide maximal response measure at the highest level is called for to cut the transmission links. The healthcare infrastructure and supply build-up are being undertaken on an emergency basis by the governments at the center and states but will take time."

 At this critical juncture when the toll of lives is rising, the CII President urged the strongest national steps, including curtailing economic activity to reduce suffering.

"Healthcare and frontline workers are giving their best efforts to tackle the influx of patients, but it may not be possible to manage escalating caseloads with the present medical talent availability. We must heed expert advice on this subject – from India and abroad. Highest response measures are needed to break the chain of contagion and also use the time to rapidly build up capacity," said Mr. Kotak.

According to CII,  the current pace of daily caseloads, the requirement for hospital beds and ICU beds, oxygen, and medicines will continue to escalate. At the same time, medical personnel who are already overstretched will be further pressurized.

"Our maxim should be 'no one is safe, unless everyone is safe," said Mr. Kotak.

In an interview with CNN, the Indian origin Google CEO Sundar Pichai said, "The situation there (India) is dire, and it has been heartbreaking to see. And I think the worst is yet to come."

"What's been heartening, at least being here, is definitely seeing the attention here. I realize that at the highest levels, from President Biden, secretary Blinken, there has been focus on engaging to see how we can help India and the other countries being affected," said Pichai.

Last month, Google announced Rs 135 Crore in new funding for India to tackle the COVID-19 crisis.

"Devastated to see the worsening crisis in India. Google and Googlers are providing Rs135 crore funding to Unicef, and non-profit Give India for medical supplies, supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information," said the Alphabet CEO on Twitter announcing the funding.

Amidst a worrying surge in Covid-19 cases and vaccine shortages across the country, Serum Institute of India (SII) chief executive Adar Poonawalla in an interview with The Financial Times, said that the supply shortage would last until July this year.

According to Poonawalla, vaccine production will increase in July from 60 – 70 million doses per month to 100 million.

Politicians and critics had slammed SII over vaccine shortages.

"I've been victimised very unfairly and wrongly," he told the newspaper, adding that he had not increased capacity earlier because "there were no orders, and we did not think we needed to make more than 1 billion doses a year."

The scarcity comes at a time when India has made vaccinations available to all adults beginning May 1.

The CEO of the world's largest vaccine maker in a tweet on Saturday said, "Had an excellent meeting with all our partners & stakeholders in the U.K. Meanwhile, pleased to state that COVISHIELD's production is in full swing in Pune. I look forward to reviewing operations upon my return in a few days."

Citing the example of Bhutan, RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka in a tweet, said, "Bhutan has vaccinated almost 100% of its population in two weeks! Why can't we do it? I know you will say, but they are such a small country. Think of India as 200 Bhutans! What we need is a positive attitude, being united and administrative efficiency. We can still do it."

Indian origin Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, last week in a tweet, said, "I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I'm grateful the U.S. government is mobilizing to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices."