The second wave of covid-19 is wreaking havoc on one side, shaking the foundations of the nation. While on the other side citizens are coming together, pooling resources, and working as a unit to fight this catastrophe. The Indian startup ecosystem has also taken up the challenge to fight the pandemic by providing resources and adequate services that will help the country not stumble and fall in the wake of this disruptive second wave.
Unity in The Times of the Pandemic
The second wave of the pandemic has brought forth images of the country struggling to face the fierce enemy. With the surge in cases, the country has been experiencing a lack of beds and adequate oxygen supply which further added to the gravity of the situation.
In response to this, Sahil Barua(co-founder of Delhivery) made an announcement on Saturday via LinkedIn. The announcement stated that the company will work together with its airline partners and fly charters to ensure that the country is provided with adequate oxygen concentrators and other necessary services. It will also ensure that there is enough potential and capacity so that the nation is equipped with a strong shield to face the situation.
This is what Barua’s post said,
“We’re flying charters into India with oxygen concentrators and other essential supplies and can build more capacity on demand. If you need help with logistics or wish to collaborate with us on this please reach out to me immediately.”
In addition to this, Shailendra Singh, the managing director of Sequoia Capital tweeted on Saturday that their team is in the quest for ways to bring in oxygen concentrators and that it will actively pursue the current leads they have got.
We are urgently looking for avenues to import Oxygen Concentrators into India. Anyone have information on foreign suppliers anywhere, please DM me. Pls RT
PS: No other DM's pls
— Shailendra J Singh (@sjs_day1) April 24, 2021
Razorpay, a payment gateway provider also declared its support to NGOs, saying that it will help them accept donations via the digital platform, in addition to helping them with quick same-day settlements. Razorpay also announced that it will facilitate the activation of payment pages for registered NGOs free of any transaction fee for donations amounting to Rs.10 lakh.
These are only a few among the list of startups that have come together to extend support in times of need, once again underscoring the tagline of our nation, “Unity in Diversity.” This is indeed a flicker of light in times of stark darkness brought forth by the pandemic.
