Google CEO Pichai Announces Rs 135 Cr Relief Fund For India’s COVID Crisis; Microsoft Will Aid Relief

With the COVID-19 crisis getting out of hands in India, support is coming in from many ends. Recently, Twitter announced that there are tools and resources that are available on the platform that users can use in order to find critical resources. Now, Microsoft and Google CEOs Satya Nadella and Sundar Pichai, both of whom come from an Indian descent, have extended help to the country, in order to better fight the ongoing healthcare emergency. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella today said that the company will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices. Google CEO Sundar Pichai, on the other hand, said that Google and its teams are providing Rs 135 crores to UNICEF and GiveIndia in order to facilitate medical supplies, help organisations that are supporting high-risk communities, and grant help to spread critical information. This comes at a time when India recorded more than 3.5 lakh new COVID-19 cases and registered over 2,800 deaths due to COVID-19.

Pichai, shared a blog post detailing the company’s efforts towards helping India overcome the grim situation. The blog post, signed by the company’s India head and VP, Sanjay Gupta, said that the Rs 135 crore funding includes two grands from Google.org, totaling Rs 20 crores. The first grant is to GiveIndia, in order to provide cash assistance to families hit hardest by the crisis to help with their everyday expenses. The second grant will go to UNICEF, which will help get urgent medical supplies, including oxygen and testing equipment, wherever it is needed the most in India. The grant also includes donations from ongoing employee giving campaign. The blog post said that so far, more than 900 Google employees have contributed towards Rs 3.7 crores for organisations supporting high-risk and margnialised countries.

“Devastated to see the worsening Covid crisis in India. Google & Googlers are providing Rs 135 Crore in funding to @GiveIndia, @UNICEF for medical supplies, orgs supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information,” Pichai said in his tweet.

Microsoft CEO Nadella, on the other hand, has said that Microsoft will also do its bit to help India, which is going through one of the worst health crisis in the country. The Microsoft CEO said in a tweet that the company will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices. Nadella also said that he is grateful to the US government for mobilising efforts to help India get through the COVID-19 crisis. US President Joe Biden today assured India and its people of providing all assistance, including sending necessary medical life-saving supplies and equipment’s, in order to help India combat the deadly COVID-19 crisis.

“I am heartbroken by the current situation in India. I’m grateful the US government is mobilizing to help. Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices,” Nadella said in a tweet on Monday.

During these tough times, technology and social media have shown to be much helpful. Users on various social media platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook are helping out friends and families of COVID patients who may desperately need information or leads or help with hospital admissions, oxygen supplies, medicines, contacts at hospitals, information about availability of beds, home care, ambulances and more.

Google is also doing its bit, by providing COVID-19 vaccine information on Search, which is available in English and eight other regional languages. Citizens across the country can use apps such as Google Maps to find COVID-19 testing or vaccine centres around them. The Maps app also includes additional information such as phone numbers and operational timings.

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