Indian Industry COVID-19
Response in North America:
Special Efforts, Best Practices,
and Community Engagement
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Indian industry has investments and operations across a wide spectrum of sectors in both the US and Canada. However, Indian companies are not only adding value to the North American economy, they also invest in their local communities as well. With the rapid spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Indian industry has taken the initiative and
made special efforts to support Government and their neighbours in bolstering their local economies, communities, and education and health systems.
While nearly all “non-essential” businesses have implemented work-from-home policies, many essential businesses, such as those in the foods packaging industry, have adapted their operations with extra precautions and protocols to better support their communities. Automotive and other manufacturing facilities are collaborating with local governments to procure “essential business” certification, so they can adapt, redesign and manufacture essentials items such as Personal Protective Equipment and hospital infrastructure necessities to help meet the escalating demand.
CII is proud to share a compilation of Indian companies’ efforts to support the US and Canada during the COVID-19 crisis, as we work together to ameliorate this historic global crisis.
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Bristlecone Offers Logistics and Supply Chain Assistance
Bristlecone, a member of the Mahindra group, is a California-based supply chain analytics partner for leading Fortune 500 companies with a large pool of supply chain experts servicing over 15 industry verticals. One of their marquee customers, Cepheid, has developed a 45 Minute Covid-19 Test Kit, which was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Bristlecone is also exploring opportunities and sharing insights with companies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on their back-end logistics, and developing supply chain management to minimize the impact of disruptions.
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Infosys Launches a Nationwide E-Learning Platform
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Due to COVID-19 state-by-state mandates, over 80% of schools across the US are closed. Teachers are adapting to teaching virtual lessons, and many f
amilies have been forced into homeschooling children of varying ages overnight.
They are all urgently in need of well-curated online content.
Infosys Foundation USA
is a 501(c)(3) organization solely committed to advancing K-12 computer science and maker education across the country. Beyond grant-making, one of the Foundation’s signature initiatives is the Pathfinders Institute -- a national week-long computer science (CS) and maker professional development program for hundreds of public school teachers from underserved school districts across the US. Earlier this year, the Foundation launched an online platform for the 750+ Pathfinders alumni teachers to continue their learning and to stay connected year-round.
Utilizing the existing infrastructure of this platform, the Infosys Foundation is expanding its free access and uploading CS and maker content for parents, teachers and students. Users can access activities, videos and participate in livestream lessons, with new material uploaded weekly from a variety of content providers.
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Jaguar Land Rover Canada Provides Vehicles for COVID-19
Personal Protective Equipment Delivery
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Jaguar Land Rover Canada has made Land Rover off-road vehicles and drivers available to hospitals in Canada to assist in the collection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), amid Canada’s coronavirus outbreak.
"The extraordinary health emergency we are going through requires everyone's commitment," said Wolfgang R. Hoffmann, President of Jaguar Land Rover Canada. “The core concept of our program is to ensure that people and businesses who have PPE to donate are not discouraged by the thought of having to leave their homes to deliver to a hospital - Land Rover will do this for them.”
Any person or business can go to the website
www.theppedrive.com
to donate their unused, unexpired supplies. Land Rover will dispatch a team to collect the items.
"There's no more important issue in Canada right now" than getting and distributing these supplies to healthcare workers said Dr. Michael Warner, medical director of critical care at Toronto's Michael Garron Hospital. According to him, tattoo parlours, nail salons, estheticians, dental, veterinary and cosmetic surgery clinics could all have these supplies, and "we need to gather it and distribute it to the places that need it."
Land Rover has been making vehicles available to assist in natural disasters and humanitarian work around the world for over 65 years. Land Rover and the International Federation of the Red Cross have a global partnership to focus on disaster preparedness and response initiatives.
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Lupin Pharmaceuticals Donates Thousands of PPE to Hospitals and Nursing Homes in North America
Long called "the pharmacy of the world," Indian pharmaceutical companies are the largest providers of generic medications globally. Known for producing top quality and affordable products, Indian Industry is continuing to provide life-saving care during the COVID-19 crisis.
Many companies are donating pharmaceutical products and medications for critical coronavirus medical trials and discovery in the global race for a cure. Industry is also also providing medical supplies to US healthcare workers and institutions. One such example, Lupin North America, showed its commitment to supporting public health in the US by recently donating 10,000 N95 masks to hospitals and nursing homes, with plans to distribute larger donations of masks and PPE as shipments arrive.
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Mahindra Automotive Repurposes and Begins Manufacturing PPE, Providing Meals for Healthcare Workers and First Responders, and Supporting Dealers and Customers During Staty-At-Home
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Mahindra Automotive North America (MANA)'s Michigan employees have taken an all-hands-on-deck approach to the COVID-19 fight. The company is working closely with the State of Michigan, its Congressional Representatives, the National Association of Manufacturers, Michigan Manufacturer’s Association, Oakland County and others to continually evaluate what manufacturing assistance it can contribute to the crisis relief.
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MANA has re-purposed its Auburn Hills, Michigan manufacturing facility to produce:
- An aspiration box with innovative ease-of-use design
- Face shields and masks for local front-line healthcare workers and first responders
Mahindra Automotive has pledged to potentially produce parts that go into ventilators and products of similar sophistication, and will work in coordination with the State of Michigan and the National Association of Manufacturers as needed. They are also providing meals to healthcare workers and first responders via Mahindra food trucks, as well as launching a "ROXOR Delivers" program for dealers of the utility vehicle who have had to close due to state mandates. This new program delivers ROXORs to consumers' doors, thereby limiting required social interactions.
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OYO Hotels Provide Free Stays for Medical Professionals
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OYO Hotels in the US are offering free stays to medical professionals and first responders fighting the Coronavirus. Beginning March 24, first responders will receive free accommodations at any OYO Hotel in the US so they can sleep, shower or just get some rest and recharge.
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"All of us at OYO are grateful for the bravery and sacrifices all the medical personnel are making to save lives and stop the spread of Covid-19," said Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes. "Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this terrible illness."
How it works:
Those on the front lines in the medical community should call (+1) 628-213-7020 (code: OYO4FIRSTRESPONDERS) to make a reservation at their nearest OYO. With valid active First Responder identification, OYO Hotels will cover all costs.
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TATA Consultancy Services Provides STEM Education and Distance Learning Opportunities
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Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is proud to offer flagship STEM education programs, virtually and free to access, for all students and teachers across North America:
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As TCS' signature community engagement program in North America for the last 10 years,
goIT
helps students design human-centered solutions that harness technologies for innovation. This digital innovation program blends design thinking and industry expertise to provide students with the 21st century skills necessary to create technology for social good. TCS has developed an editable project template that integrates the core elements of the goIT program and that can be shared directly with students as an at-home virtual inquiry-based learning project. Students, teachers, and parents can request to receive feedback from TCS industry experts as they move through the content. For teachers holding virtual classrooms, TCS industry experts are available to video conference into the classroom. Please contact Christine Mackin (
christine.mackin@tcs.com
) and John DiChiara (
john.dichiara@tcs.com
) for more information and to join the weekly training webinar that is being offered.
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As today’s educators shift to online and distance learning in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, TCS is proud to share distance learning activities that teachers of any subject, grade, or student population can leverage and immediately put into action.
Ignite My Future in School
takes a transdisciplinary approach that integrates computational thinking into core subjects like math, science, art, and social studies. In addition, we offer an interactive digital platform, an open community of teacher leaders, and year-round engagement at:
www.ignitemyfutureinschool.org.
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Please join CII and the Canada-India Business Council (CIBC) for a conversation with High Commissioners Ajay Bisaria and Nadir Patel next week,
21 April at 11 AM EDT/ 8:30 PM IST
, to discuss opportunities and engagement in the India-Canadian business corridor.
Register here:
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To support our industry members in the US and Canada, CII is consolidating challenges that the business community is facing and best practices that are being adopted during the COVID-19 outbreak. If you need any assistance reaching out to relevant stakeholders during this time, please share updates with Ms
Shuchita Sonalika, Director and Head – North America, CII at
shuchita.sonalika@cii.in
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Confederation of Indian Industry
1700 North Moore Street, Suite 1005, Arlington VA 22209
PH: 703 807 0310 | FX: 703 807 0315
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