As India battles COVID-19, here is a list of US companies aiding India in its COVID fight

As India fights the devastating second wave of COVID-19 while facing an acute shortage of essential supplies such as oxygen and Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients, the private sector of the United States has come forward in extending all possible help to India to curb the dangerous spread of the virus. Tech giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft to Gilead, Procter & Gamble and Deloitte among others have stepped up their efforts to assist India in its fight against the pandemic.

Here is how US companies are contributing to India's fight against COVID-19

• Google has pledged Rs 135 Crore in funding to GiveIndia and UNICEF for medical supplies, organisations supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information.
• Gilead Sciences offered to HLL Lifecare a supply of 100,000 vials of Remdesivir free of cost. The first and second consignments are expected to be shipped later this week. They can supply an additional amount of 200,000 vials by May 31. Some institutions in India will be provided raw material by Gilead for local production.
• US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is assisting with 12 ISO containers to help transport oxygen in India. They will be airlifting oxygen cylinders into India. Through the donation of member companies, USISPF is sourcing 100,000 portable oxygen concentrators for use at home and hospitals to be shipped to India immediately. USISPF approached companies in the US to supply and/or donate ICU beds, Covid-Test kits, N-95 Masks and other medical equipment. USISPF is working with member companies and NGO partners to set up vaccination and medical centres on corporate campuses. 
• US-India Business Council (USIBC) members stepped forward to offer resources for USIBC initiatives.
• Procter & Gamble will contribute towards the vaccination of over 5 lakh Indian Citizens by pledging Rs 50 crore in partnership with government and local authorities in India. For every P&G employee in India, the company is contributing towards the vaccination of 100 Indians. In addition, the company will cover a vaccination cost of its over 5000 employee force in India, and their eligible immediate family members.
• US Chamber of Commerce issued a statement on April 24 urging the US government to distribute its stockpiles of millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccines and provide other lifesaving medical resources to India and other countries.
• Microsoft will continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices.
• Apple announced that they will be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground.
• Amazon has joined hands with ACT Grants, Temasek Foundation, Pune Platform for COVID-19 Response (PPCR) and other partners to urgently airlift over 8,000 oxygen concentrators and 500 BiPAP machines from Singapore. Additionally, Amazon India is also procuring over 1,500 oxygen concentrators and other critical medical equipment that will be donated to hospitals and medical facilities.
• Deloitte is working with the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum, the US-India Business Council, the Business Roundtable and India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu to mobilize resources.
• More than forty CEOs of multinational companies came together this weekend to focus on immediate needs like oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and generators, home monitoring kits and critical medicines. 1,000 oxygen concentrators provided by Deloitte on April 26 and an additional 11,000 being sourced by the end of this week by CEOs of other multinational companies, to help the wider international effort to assist the people of India.

Countries supporting India

Other countries such as the UK, France, Australia, Singapore, Saudi Arabia among others are sending help to India. The US which was initially hesitant to export the essential raw materials to India for manufacturing Covishield has now lift the embargo on export. This assumes significance as India continues to report over 3 lakh per day for seven consecutive days, leaving the hospitals unbearably full and supplies critically low. The increasing cases and decreasing resources in the country are causing a higher number of fatalities. Despite the Centre and state governments' efforts to contain the deadly second wave of COVID-19, India continues to record more than 3 lakh COVID-19 fresh cases every 24 hours.