Zomato’s not-for-profit arm Feeding India has partnered with logistics firm Delhivery to source oxygen concentrators and related supplies to help hospitals and families in need, co-founder Deepinder Goyal announced on Twitter.
Zomato Feeding India, our not-for-profit has kickstarted the “Help Save My India” endeavour today in association wi… https://t.co/vmwA6Y9KHq
— Deepinder Goyal (@deepigoyal) 1619336937000
“We have already kickstarted the effort, and now need your help to raise Rs 50 crores for @FeedingIndia in the next few days (hours?) to save hundreds of thousands of lives. If we raise more, we will get more oxygen,” Goyal said on Twitter. Domestic donors can head over to the Feeding India website to make donations while the platform will soon open for international donors, Goyal said on Twitter.
These donations will be used towards the cause with the food delivery firm footing the entire administrative fee, he noted. The platform has raised about Rs 12.6 lakh at the time of writing this article.
Home services marketplace Urban Company will be committing Rs 5 lakh towards this effort, co-founder Abhiraj Singh Bhal said on Twitter.
Great initiative @deepigoyal. @urbancompany_UC would be happy to contribute a small token of INR 5 lacs towards thi… https://t.co/vCmYGgvi0P
— Abhiraj Singh Bhal (@abhirajbhal) 1619340609000
On Saturday, Delhivery said it will be providing logistical support for importing oxygen concentrators from China at a time when India has been hit by a shortage of air cargo capacity, especially from the neighbouring country.
A Delhivery spokesperson said the company is providing logistical support on an urgent and subsidised basis, and not importing the material itself. “We are going to fly these charters at subsidised prices to ensure that a capacity crunch on air freight does not delay or make the logistics of these essential items prohibitive. Besides the air movement, we will also help with local movement at both ends and assist with customs clearance, again through partners, in India,” the spokesperson said.
The move comes amid soaring Covid-19 cases in the country, which has resulted in a massive scarcity of oxygen.
Over the past few days, the startup and investor ecosystem have come together to offer all kinds of resources and help to tide over the second wave of Covid-19 that has ravaged Indian cities.
Earlier today, Silicon Valley veteran entrepreneur-investor Vinod Khosla
announced his intentions to fund hospitals for importing oxygen supplies in the country.
“I’m willing to fund hospitals in India that need funding to import bulk planeloads of oxygen or supplies into India to increase supply. Public hospitals/NGOs also pls reach out,” Khosla said on Twitter.
