CAPTAINS PUT BEST FOOT FORWARD

AS THE COUNTRY FIGHTS COVID-19, INDUSTRY LEADERS STEP IN TO SHOW COMMITMENT TO BOTH THEIR WORKERS AND SOCIETY AT LARGE

- NEVIN JOHN

It is in difficult times that true leaders emerge. And, these truly are extraordinary times. As India goes under a protracted lockdown, the list of those facing an economic tragedy is running into millions.

As India faces the coronavirus threat with grim courage, captains of India Inc., too, are locked down in their homes. In spite of a near certainty that most of them will suffer serious losses in their business, some of them are showing serious social commitment by compensating contract workers not on payroll and offering medical assistance to employees as well as public. Others are looking to divert their manufacturing facilities to produce things that are in great demand due to the spread of the pandemic, including ventilators, soaps and hand sanitisers. A few have publicly promised to retain their employees, though production at their plants has been halted. Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata, Reliance Industries CMD Mukesh Ambani, Bajaj Group Chairman Rahul Bajaj, Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal, Hindustan Unilever CMD Sanjiv Mehta and Hero Cycles CMD Pankaj Munjal have set aside funds to deal with the virus outbreak, while Mahindra Chairman Anand Mahindra have announced a series of social initiatives.

Guards of Employees

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata group, promised full salary to temporary workers and daily wage earners who are working in offices and at sites in India for March and April. The group employs 7.2 lakh people. Its temporary workers run in lakhs. The workers will get salaries even if they don't go to work because of quarantine measures, site closures and plant shutdowns.