As India's Covid-19 crises deepen, global IT giants such as Google and Microsoft are extending help to the country to battle the pandemic.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has offered support in its battle against the second wave of Covid-19, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had referred to as a 'toofan' (storm) in his radio program 'Mann Ki Baat' on Sunday.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Sundar Pichai said," 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."
Google announced Rs 135 Crore in new funding for India. This includes two grants from Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm, totalling Rs 20 Crore.
The first is to GiveIndia to provide cash assistance to families hit hardest by the crisis to help with their everyday expenses. The second will go to UNICEF to help get urgent medical supplies, including oxygen and testing equipment, to where it’s needed most in India.
It also includes donations from its ongoing employee giving campaign — so far more than 900 Googlers have contributed Rs 3.7 Crore for organizations supporting high-risk and marginalized communities.
On the other hand, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella also took the platform sharing his concern about the current situation in India. Nadela also thanked the United States government that has assured help to India amid the crisis.
"I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I’m grateful the U.S. government is mobilizing to help," Satya Nadella tweeted.
Nadela, too, offered support to strengthen relief efforts and purchase critical oxygen concentration devices.
"Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices," he added.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden also extended help to India in handling the crises. The United States is determined to "help" India as it faces an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, said US President Joe Biden. In a tweet, Biden acknowledged last year's assistance from India to America when the latter was facing a healthcare crisis.
"Just as India sent assistance to the United States as our hospitals were strained early in the pandemic, we are determined to help India in its time of need," Biden tweeted.
Last year during the first COVID-19 wave, India shipped 50 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to the United States following a request by then US President Donald Trump.
India's new daily cases of the coronavirus disease (covid-19) crossed 300,000 for the fifth straight day as the Union ministry of health and family welfare (MoHFW) said on Monday morning