CSR: Landmark Group commits support towards COVID-19 relief efforts

To help meet the critical needs of those severely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Landmark Group – the parent company of retail brands Lifestyle, Max, Home Centre, Easy Buy & SPAR, along with The Jagtiani Foundation – the private philanthropy arm of the Jagtiani Family,  and The LIFE Foundation – a registered trust founded in 2000 by Micky Jagtiani that supports the public education system, have formed a united front to help with the relief efforts in Mumbai and adjoining areas.

Led by the values instilled by the family and the Group’s CSR mission which focuses on the health and wellbeing of local communities, a sum of over Rs. 30 Crores has been committed towards supporting and empowering those affected by the pandemic in India and the Middle East. In India, the group has committed ongoing support towards COVID-19 relief efforts in Mumbai, Coimbatore/Tiruppur, Bangalore, Delhi, and Chennai.

Launching the first phase of its COVID-19 relief initiative in Mumbai, the group has joined forces with public health partners, non-profit and civic organisations to ensure urgent help for vulnerable communities, providing food rations for local low-income families and daily wage earners.  Relief efforts are focused on providing important resources like medical equipment and supplies to frontline workers in collaboration with partner factories.

The group, in Mumbai alone, is contributing food kits, medical kits & supplies for hospitals, communities and frontline workers. The LIFE Foundation, which typically works in over 2,000 anganwadis (childcare centers) and in over 160 schools, has also pivoted its programmes to provide aide to underserved populations and workers on the frontline.

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Renuka Jagtiani, Chairwoman and CEO, Landmark Group, said, “The Middle East and India have been home to us for several decades, and therefore we have pooled our resources from the Group & the Jagtiani Foundation to work on ground and support those who have been impacted by the crisis. We have tried to reach people across our value chain and by prioritizing the health and safety of our employees and customers, as well as continuing to engage our partner factories in relief efforts and with communities in garment hubs across India. In addition, we are working closely with accredited NGOs, food banks, and healthcare workers on the frontlines to provide aid to help local communities where we operate in need directly in the GCC and India.

So many people across the globe have been impacted by this pandemic, and our thoughts are with everyone whose lives have been affected.”

Vasanth Kumar, Managing Director – Lifestyle International Pvt. Ltd. added “We are driven by the need to support the communities who are facing unprecedented hardships due to COVID-19. We aim to bolster the efforts of NGOs, health care workers, and the local government authorities with our combined network and resources. In Mumbai, with support of NGO partners, we are distributing food & dry ration kits for over 43,300 people and over 18,500 medical kits & supplies for hospitals, communities, and frontline workers. We will continue our community relief efforts for COVID-19 on an ongoing basis”.

Poonam Lalvani, Managing Trustee, The LIFE Foundation said, “Since 2001, we’ve been dedicated to empowering youth and marginalized communities through a holistic approach that includes education and health. During these challenging times, we remain committed to our most disadvantaged populations across Mumbai, as well as Thane, Alibag, Chennai, Meghalaya, and Bangalore. To date, we’ve distributed over 100,000kgs of food provisions to vulnerable people, including low-income families and migrant workers. We’re also working to support public hospitals and frontline workers by providing medical supplies, including a recent donation to the paediatric ward ICU in Nair Hospital. We will continue to work tirelessly to serve the community, ensuring we’re agile in responding to daily changing requirements and that we’re truly reaching those in need on the ground.”