Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): How Balkrishna Industries serves during Pandemic

Extends helping hand by providing specially cooked meals, daily supplies, hospital equipment and 25,000 kits of preventative gear

Balkrishna Industries Ltd. (BKT Tires), the Indian multinational group and global player in the Off-Highway tire market has contributed towards the cause of Corona relief by providing help to over 4,00,000 affected people in the country.

The organization contributed towards the effort by providing specially cooked meals, daily needs packets, crucial hospital equipment and important preventative gear to frontline workers in a bid to prevent the spread of the disease.

Due to the lockdown imposed by the pandemic, the livelihood of daily wage labourers and workers was significantly impacted. To help ease their plight, BKT distributed specially cooked meals to over 4,00,000 people in collaboration with the foundation Akshaya Patra. 

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This activity was carried out by the BKT team members located in various parts of India with the help of BKT distribution partners as well as the local district administration.

In addition to the distribution of cooked meals, food aid and daily needs packets were provided by BKT in various parts of the country, including in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. More than 3,00,000 kgs of wheat flour, 60,000 litres of cooking oil, 60,000 kgs of lentils, 60,000 kgs of salt, 1,20,000 kgs of rice, 60,000 kgs of sugar, 60,000 kgs of spice bags and 60,000 bottles of soap were distributed.

The medical and paramedical staff in the front line in hospitals have seen an enormous increase in the risk of being infected by SarsCov2. Besides normal safety procedures, it is necessary to use personal protective equipment. BKT, in collaboration with SIN and Monte Bianco Apparel Brands, donated 25,000 PPE kits to medical staff treating COVID-19 patients, consisting of a protective suit with hood, a face shield, a mask, a pair of gloves and shoe covers.

The pandemic has also brought about other unprecedented challenges in the healthcare sector. Patients with severe COVID19 infection often require assisted ventilation and monitoring of their vital parameters like pulse, BP, oxygen saturation and other vital functions. BKT supplied 12 number of Hemodynamic monitors at a total cost of INR 1,15,20,000 to Tata Memorial Hospital. These monitors are an important part of the ventilators, which are the lifesaving critical equipment used for patients suspected or diagnosed with COVID19 infections.

The staff of BKT provided concrete support to the relief funds by gifting a day’s salary and raising 10,000,000 INR. This amount was doubled by the Chairman of the board, Arvind Poddar to ensure help for as many affected people as possible.

Speaking about the donation, Rajiv Poddar, Joint MD of BKT said “Our greatest belief as an organization is to grow together, and we want to make sure that we do everything in our power to help reach as many people as possible during this pandemic. This is a time when humanity should triumph over everything else, and we have put in great effort to help ease the plight of people all over the country, so we can all come out stronger.”

BKT’s relief funds reached several vulnerable groups such as displaced migrants stuck in the lockdown, workers who lost their livelihoods due to the virus, and people in dire need of preventative gear. It also aided in providing equipment of grave importance to hospitals and to extend support to the volunteers working towards providing relief to children, affected families, and the elderly. Since its inception, BKT has actively donated to several noteworthy causes such as education, relief for farmers amongst others and will continue to do so actively and passionately.