Marking Its 17th Anniversary, Vestige Celebrates Spirit Of Togetherness Amid Pandemic - ‘Ek Saath – Unbeatable Together’

* Vestige announces growth at CAGR of 30% and aims to expand its network in Asia & Africa  by 2025.

* Featuring at number 36 globally, Vestige is the only Indian-origin direct selling company in the 2021 DSN Global 100 list

Vestige Marketing Pvt Ltd, India’s largest home-grown direct selling company with a vast portfolio in health, wellness, and hygiene products, marked its 17th year of operations since its inception in 2004. Having grown strategically in business, markets and products, Vestige is now ranked 36, making it the only Indian-origin company to be featured in the reputed DSN Global 100 list. Along with this, Vestige has also been certified as The Great Place to Work for the third time in a row. 

Vestige has empowered and transformed the lives of millions of distributors across India and international markets providing access to health and wellness products for a better tomorrow. It has had a record growth of 30% CAGR and plans to expand its network to in Middle East, Africa and other regions by 2025.

It was the phenomenal growth in India that encouraged Vestige’s leaders to expand into international markets as well. Vestige is currently present in 6 countries including India and will soon start operations in countries like Thailand, Ghana and Philippines. 

Commenting on the significant rise of Vestige over the past 17 years, Gautam Bali, Managing Director, said, “I feel humbled when I look back on our journey and at the same time take great pride in the fact that we have been able to fulfil our vision of helping people live a life of economic independence on their own terms. It is the collective effort and the goal of shared prosperity of our distributors and employees that is reflected in the theme “Ek Saath” for the 17th year anniversary. I am immensely grateful to all Vestigians for their trust and faith in the brand.” 

He further added, “In India, over 65% of the population is below 35 years, and direct selling is a great opportunity to leverage for employment and income creation. The market is right now waiting to realise its full potential. We are committed to enable our vision of providing economic independence by creating entrepreneurs in tier 2 and 3 markets.”

In the FY 2018, as per industry studies there were 5.7 million direct sellers engaged in direct selling which is set to increase to 18 million by 2025. And according to ASSOCHAM, the direct selling industry is expected reach a value of INR 15,930 crore by end of 2021.

As the company completes its 17 years, it celebrates its position as a torchbearer of the country’s grassroots entrepreneurial skills to enable an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Since its inception in 2004, Vestige has been at the forefront of leading the direct selling revolution in India and has expanded its product portfolio exponentially in each category, offering over 300 products in 19 different categories. In India it has expanded to 3,500 online and offline touch points to enhance customer experience. Innovation and research are at the core of Vestige’s product development. Its manufacturing partners have state-of-the-art facilities and are GMP, HALAL and ISO certified. The products are made by following high quality standards and globally recognized best practices.

Corning Introduces Revolutionary Fiber Designed To Accelerate Network Transformation To 5G, Cloud, And Beyond

* Corning SMF-28 Contour Optical Fiber Offers A First-Of-Its-Kind Combination Of Bend Resilience, Compatibility, And Industry-Leading Low Loss

Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) has introduced its latest innovation, Corning SMF-28® Contour optical fiber, to help telecommunications operators address the ever-expanding number of connected devices, build-out of 5G networks, and advances in cloud computing.

Networks perform at their best when errors are minimized during fiber installation and when existing infrastructure is used efficiently during upgrades. Corning engineered SMF-28 Contour fiber to meet those needs. This groundbreaking product will allow customers to seamlessly upgrade their optical infrastructures, enabling the cost-effective deployment of future-ready networks. The fiber offers:

Superior bendability designed to reduce the impact of errors during installation and optimize reach in densely cabled environments where 5G networks are being deployed. SMF-28 Contour fiber is an ITU-T G.657.A2 fiber that has 10 times the macrobend resilience of G.652.D fibers and seven times the macrobend resilience of G.657.A1 fibers. The associated increase in microbend resilience enables dense, high-fiber-count cables needed to meet the demands of future high-capacity networks.

Exceptional compatibility with legacy networks while providing superior bend protection, which can mean up to 50% faster installation by minimizing corrective splice-loss work. Other G.657.A2 fibers also provide bend protection but with a compromised, lower mode field diameter. SMF-28 Contour fiber does not compromise, providing both G.657.A2 bend protection and a matched 9.2-micron mode field diameter in the same product.

Wide spectrum and industry-leading low-loss transmission across all the wavelengths that constitute the communication systems of today and tomorrow. First, SMF-28 Contour fiber’s industry-leading low attenuation delivers 10% longer reach in all networks and up to 20% wider access-network coverage. Second, SMF-28 Contour fiber’s bend loss protection enables up to twice the network reach in new long-wavelength fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) systems. Together, these features enable larger FTTH subscriber areas and greater revenue potential.

SMF-28 Contour fiber is available in a standard 242-micron configuration and a smaller 190-micron configuration. Smaller-diameter designs are increasingly important because while bandwidth demands have grown, the space available for network infrastructure has not. The 190-micron version of SMF-28 Contour fiber enables smaller cables with higher fiber counts – maximizing use of existing infrastructure.

“Corning’s revolutionary SMF-28 Contour optical fiber is the latest example of our ability to solve tough industry challenges,” said Dr. Bernhard Deutsch, vice president and general manager, Corning Optical Fiber and Cable. “Operators today are looking to deploy future-ready networks as efficiently as possible, often in densely cabled environments, and we’ve designed this new product to answer those needs. Fifty years after Corning scientists invented the first low-loss optical fiber, we’re proud to help drive a new era of industry growth and network transformation.”

Corning will highlight SMF-28 Contour fiber at the virtual Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition, held June 7 through 11. Visit the SMF-28® Contour fiber product page to view detailed technical specifications and see Corning’s media resources page for more information.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained in this release that are not historical facts or information and contain words such as “will,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “seek,” “see,” “would,” and “target” and similar expressions are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and include estimates and assumptions related to economic, competitive and legislative developments. Such statements relate to future events that by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. These estimates are subject to change and uncertainty which are, in many instances, beyond our control. There can be no assurance that future developments will be in accordance with management’s expectations. Actual results could differ materially from those expected by us, depending on the outcome of various factors. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements. 

Although the Company believes that these forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions regarding, among other things, current estimates and forecasts, general economic conditions, its knowledge of its business, and key performance indicators that impact the Company, actual results could differ materially.  The Company does not undertake to update forward-looking statements.  Some of the risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its ultimate impact across our businesses on demand, operations and our global supply chains; the effects of acquisitions, dispositions and other similar transactions; global business, financial, economic and political conditions; tariffs and import duties; currency fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and other currencies, primarily the Japanese yen, new Taiwan dollar, euro, Chinese yuan and South Korean won; product demand and industry capacity; competitive products and pricing; availability and costs of critical components and materials; new product development and commercialization; order activity and demand from major customers; the amount and timing of our cash flows and earnings and other conditions, which may affect our ability to pay our quarterly dividend at the planned level or to repurchase shares at planned levels; possible disruption in commercial activities due to terrorist activity, cyber-attack, armed conflict, political or financial instability, natural disasters, or major health concerns; loss of intellectual property due to theft, cyber-attack, or disruption to our information technology infrastructure; unanticipated disruption to equipment, facilities, IT systems or operations; effect of regulatory and legal developments; ability to pace capital spending to anticipated levels of customer demand; rate of technology change; ability to enforce patents and protect intellectual property and trade secrets; adverse litigation; product and components performance issues; retention of key personnel; customer ability, most notably in the Display Technologies segment, to maintain profitable operations and obtain financing to fund ongoing operations and manufacturing expansions and pay receivables when due; loss of significant customers; changes in tax laws and regulations; the impacts of audits by taxing authorities; the potential impact of legislation, government regulations, and other government action and investigations; and other risks detailed in Corning’s SEC filings.

For a complete listing of risks and other factors, please reference the risk factors and forward-looking statements described in our annual reports on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

Web Disclosure

In accordance with guidance provided by the SEC regarding the use of company websites and social media channels to disclose material information, Corning Incorporated (“Corning”) wishes to notify investors, media, and other interested parties that it uses its website (https://www.corning.com/worldwide/en/about-us/news-events.html) to publish important information about the company, including information that may be deemed material to investors, or supplemental to information contained in this or other press releases. The list of websites and social media channels that the company uses may be updated on Corning’s media and website from time to time. Corning encourages investors, media, and other interested parties to review the information Corning may publish through its website and social media channels as described above, in addition to the company’s SEC filings, press releases, conference calls, and webcasts.

About Corning Incorporated

Corning (www.corning.com) is one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science, with a 170-year track record of life-changing inventions. Corning applies its unparalleled expertise in glass science, ceramic science, and optical physics along with its deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop category-defining products that transform industries and enhance people's lives. Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, and deep, trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries. Corning’s capabilities are versatile and synergistic, which allows the company to evolve to meet changing market needs, while also helping our customers capture new opportunities in dynamic industries. Today, Corning’s markets include optical communications, mobile consumer electronics, display, automotive, and life sciences.

'We Must Take Ownership And Take Remedial Measures To Restore The Ecosystem': Anil Lala

By Manu Sharma

The theme of World Environment Day 2021 is 'Ecosystem Restoration'. ‘Mankind has been abusing the environment since hundreds of years - industrialisation, chemical effluents, petroleum and plastic products, air pollution and hazardous emissions have all taken a toll on "Mother Earth". We human beings should take ownership and understand that this earth belongs to us and take appropriate remedial steps to restore the ecosystem and aim for a better environment and lessor pollution.’  Manu Sharma, Editor of Silicon Village caught up with serial entrepreneur, industrialist and Managing Director of a luxury fan brand, Mr Anil Lala who feels environmental laws are acts that guide us towards following best practices to reduce the pollution and help this earth become cleaner.  Mr Lala talks about this and much more in an email interaction. Excerpts: 

Manu Sharma: How to reduce your carbon foot print at the office/factory? Over the years what steps have/will you take(n)? 

Anil Lala: a. We should generate least quantity of garbage for which we need to use reusables 

b. Consume least or no plastic. Try to use only recyclable products

c. Follow minimalistic lifestyle with least wastage 

d. Learn to donate things that we don't use 

e. Minimise water consumption

f. Make sure that all left over food scraps are composted  

M S: Your inputs on the loss of forests area, more concrete buildings coming up everywhere and global warming affecting the country?

A L: Urbanisation will always be at a cost of losing our forests and green cover. More the concrete jungles come up, there will be more pollution by human beings, chemical & plastic waste, industrialisation, polluting vehicles, waste of water etc. Global Warming is a result of urbanisation and if we the human race do not contain it now, it will be too late and our coming generations will curse us for leaving a filthy world for them.

M S: As an industrialist, what efforts are you taking in reducing the carbon footprint in your organisation?

A L: Before being an Industrialist I am a human being who has received the gift of living on this earth and personally I am involved in planting urban forests thru my Rotary Club where we have earmarked an ambitious project to plant urban forests and so far, we have successfully planted more than 90000 trees. In terms of our workplace, we educate our work force to follow best practices in terms of conservation of water, minimise wastage in every way, we use all LED lights and use maximum cross ventilation for fresh air. 

M S : How eco-friendly are your products i.e. fans today? Going forward what changes would you like to bring in your products to make them more eco-friendly?  

A L: Our products are very energy efficient compared to comparative brands. About 50% of our models come with DC motors which consume about 30% of the electricity consumed by a conventional local fan. There are many models for which we use wooden blades instead of plastic. 

Our target is to have 100% models with DC motors for energy efficiency and minimise use of plastic. There is a study if all fans in India are changed to DC motors, we can save up to 3 MW hours of electricity which can result into a huge power saving annually. In fact, there would be no shortage of power in any state any longer.

M S : Presently what kind of cars do you own? Are you considering switching to a hybrid or electric vehicle? If yes please give the details?

A L: At the moment we have petrol and diesel vehicles but surely, we plan to change all of them to electric vehicles. We are just waiting for the ecosystem within the country to get set up with the charging stations. I believe Tatas have tied up with one of the leading fuel pump company to set up 2000 charging stations all over India and I am certain other companies will follow suit. Hence it is a matter of time when we will all start making the switch.

M S: Since you often travel to more advanced countries in Europe and America, what kind of green changes would you like to see in your country/city in order to save the environment and reduce pollution?

A L: If you drive around Germany, you will notice hundreds of homes sporting solar panels on the roof of their homes, they not only generate and consume their own electricity they are also able to pump in the excess energy into the Grid and get paid for it. I believe there are similar regulations in India where you can set up solar panels on your rooftops, use your own energy and sell the excess. I will be extremely happy if our government educates the population and develops a seamless system for individuals and commercial buildings to follow this path. This can generate many MW of renewable electricity and reduce our carbon foot print significantly. I also think that our pollution control boards should tighten and enforce laws for industries and control the illegal pollution specially in the disorganised sector.

M S : Have you undertaken planting trees in your locality/office?

A L: We have planted lots of trees at our plant at Tamil Nadu and we have also planted trees in our office building and warehouse compounds. We have changed all our light fixtures to LED and fans to DC motor fans in all our ware houses to conserve electricity. We also are actively looking to set up solar panels above our buildings to make us self-sufficient in generating our own electricity. We also actively support various green initiatives. If each one of us takes these steps in a responsible manner I am certain we can change our world and make it a much better and pollution free place to live in and breathe purer air quality. 

A Shot In The Arm In India’s Fight Against Covid: Samsung Vaccinating Over 50,000 Employees & Beneficiaries

Samsung India has got the ball rolling on vaccinating over 50,000 employees, adding a shot in the arm for India’s united fight against Covid.

This week, on-site vaccination camps were organised for employees at the Company’s Southwest Asia headquarters at Two Horizon Centre in Gurugram, at SRI-Noida, one of Samsung’s three R&D centers in the country, at Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru, the world’s largest mobile experience center and several branch offices around the country. A vaccination camp was also organised at the Sriperumbudur factory, near Chennai.

Employees came to the vaccination sites with great enthusiasm, with the Company ensuring strict Covid protocols and appropriate Covid behaviour. In some locations such as the Gurugram RHQ, family members of the employees also joined the vaccination programme. More vaccination drives have been planned over the next few weeks across cities.

As part its people welfare initiatives, Samsung will cover the vaccination costs for over 50,000 eligible employees and beneficiaries in India. This will also include all Samsung Experience Consultants (store promoters), who work at electronics retail stores across the country.

This is in addition to Samsung India’s CSR initiatives, announced last month, which included Covid care support through oxygen concentrators, oxygen cylinders and innovative Low Dead Space syringes, and donations to the Centre and state governments to support their own Covid care programmes.

“I am very happy to see the enthusiasm of our employees in the vaccination program and contributing to this fight against Covid. At Samsung, we are driven by the idea that a company is its people. Post Covid-19, Samsung India has taken several initiatives for employees and their families, which includes medical care, home assistance as well as mental wellness support. The vaccination drive will cover employees and some other beneficiaries and ensure their safety and wellbeing as nobody is safe till everyone is safe,” said Sameer Wadhawan, Senior Vice President & Head of Human Resources, Samsung India.

“It is a great feeling when you know that your employer will not only take care of you, but your family as well,” says Indu Kapoor from the Consumer Electronics division at Samsung India.

“It is a feeling of security when your employers care for you. I salute our HR colleagues who have throughout this pandemic, especially during the recent crisis, worked day and night to ensure that the employees could get the care they so much required in terms of oxygen, hospital beds, medicines, and even emotional support,” says Hasit Mankodi from the Customer Service team at Samsung India.

At Samsung, employee health, safety and well-being are absolute priority. To help employees and their families with information and access to medical supplies as well as hospital facilities and home-care, we have set up in-house facilities and teams across the country. Samsung has also offered medical care, home assistance and mental wellness support by experts on personal loss, grief, vaccination myths, stress as well as pandemic fatigue.

To provide extensive medical care support, Samsung has partnered with Dhani Healthcare to provide employees with free online consultations at any time of the day with a year-long validity. Samsung is also running a home assistance program to support employees by sharing verified contacts for emergency services like hospitals, oxygen suppliers, chemists, blood banks, testing centers and ambulances.

In addition, employees have been assisted with health insurance top-up for Covid care and homecare treatment cost has been included in the group health insurance policy for employees and their dependents. Samsung is also providing a corporate health insurance buffer equal to the base policy amount for any employee in need.

Kylas, An Enterprise-Grade SaaS CRM For SMBs Priced At $99, Launches In India

* Uniquely designed for Indian SMBs to enable their digital transformation journeys

Kylas, a new age enterprise-grade Customer Relationship Management (CRM) product, has been launched in India. Kylas is an agile, easy to use and customizable SaaS product that is uniquely positioned to help small and medium businesses streamline their sales efforts, engage with customers effectively and grow faster. During the last one year, SMBs in India have been severely impacted with the uncertainties of start-stop lockdowns, unreliable cashflows and disrupted supply chains. Covid-19 has forced SMBs to accelerate digital adoption and ensure business continuity in this challenging environment. Kylas was launched with a vision to make an high quality CRM software accessible to small businesses with a differentiated pricing of USD 99 (INR 7499) per month with unlimited features, unlimited users, and no hidden costs so that the SMBs can focus on reviving their businesses without the additional burden of increase in technology costs.

Kylas comes built-in with a host of productivity and collaboration features to improve sales team productivity. It seamlessly integrates with commonly used lead generation platforms such as– Facebook, Whatsapp, IndiaMART, Shiksha.com and many more to accelerate the end-to-end customer journey of Indian SMBs. Additionally, Kylas is launching a unique ‘SMB Upskilling Program’ with an aim to educate, enable and advise growing businesses about their digital transformation roadmap and operations. This is a special 4-week program, during which SMBs will learn about using technology and platforms for business continuity & resilience, marketing (including digital and social media), lead generation and overall digital transformation. The program will be led and conducted by the leadership team and subject matter experts at Kylas.

Ketan Sabnis, CEO and Founder, Kylas, said, “While large enterprises have the resources and wherewithal to undergo rapid digital transformation, SMBs face various challenges such as lack of accessibility to technology, cost constraints and shortage of talent with relevant digital skills. To bridge this gap and to help SMBs to digitize their end-to-end customer journey, we have built Kylas: The Honest CRM. It has been designed keeping in mind the needs of the SMBs and we believe that our customers can benefit from its enterprise-grade CRM capabilities at an all-inclusive value-pricing. Additionally, our customer service, SMB upskilling initiative and our future product roadmap will further strengthen the key value propositions of Kylas.”

As a startup, Kylas resonates with the ‘Make in India’ goals of empowering the SMBs in the country with high-quality digital technologies. Over 150 businesses have signed-up for Kylas in the past few weeks leading up to the commercial launch. Kylas draws on the learnings and legacy of its predecessor, Sell.do (co-founded by Ketan Sabnis), India’s award-winning end-to-end CRM solution for the Real Estate sector, with over 600+ clients across key global markets. 

About Kylas:

Kylas Sales CRM has been designed and engineered to help growing businesses streamline their sales efforts, engage with customers effectively and convert deals faster! Kylas is an enterprise-grade SaaS tool that is intuitive and easy to use and aims at improving product adoption by sales teams. Businesses can try Kylas for free for 15 days. With a slew of productivity and collaboration features within the app, Kylas, is a unique solution for growing businesses aiming to digitally transform their businesses. 

Manipal Hospitals Acquires 100% Stake In Vikram Hospital, Making Its 10th Hospital In Bengaluru

Manipal Hospitals, the second largest hospital chain in India, today announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement with Multiples Private Equity Fund for a 100% acquisition of Bengaluru based multi-specialty hospital, Vikram Hospital, making this its 10th hospital in the city. The announcement comes close on the heels of its acquisition of the India operations of Columbia Asia Hospitals in April 2021.

Set up in 2009, Vikram Hospital is a 200 bedded high end tertiary care facility located in the central business district and is best known for its clinical expertise in the fields of Cardiac and Neuro Sciences.

Commenting on the deal, Dr Ranjan Pai, Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) said “We are delighted to welcome Vikram Hospital into our network. Manipal Hospitals has been the top ranked healthcare provider in Bengaluru for over two decades and this addition is reiteration of our commitment to meet the healthcare needs of the city and the region. There are two greenfield hospitals that are currently under construction and once they are complete in the next 24 months, our network of 12 hospitals with over 2,300 beds would be best placed to provide ease of access and comprehensive care to everyone across this fast growing city.”

Sharing her views on the transaction, Renuka Ramnath, Founder, Managing Director and CEO of the Private Equity Firm Multiples said “We salute the doctors, the outstanding management team and the staff of Vikram Hospital who built an iconic hospital in the city of Bengaluru. We are very pleased that we are handing over this marquee asset to an extremely worthy Manipal Hospital Group. With this larger canvas our doctors will have the ability to have a deeper impact on the healthcare needs of the city.”

With this latest addition, Manipal Hospitals now has 27 hospitals spread across 14 cities, more than 7,300 beds and a talented pool of 4,000 doctors and over 11,000 employees. The Hospital Group is also scouting to expand its footprint in eastern India and to further enhance its presence in the existing geographies.

Allegro Capital acted as financial advisors while PwC served as financial and tax diligence advisors and Trilegal as legal advisors for Manipal Hospitals on this deal.

About Manipal Hospitals

As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is among the top healthcare providers in India serving over 4 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable, high quality healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to out of hospital care. With the completion of acquisition of 100% stake in Columbia Asia Hospitals in India and addition of Vikram Hospital, the integrated network today has a pan-India footprint of 27 hospitals across 14 cities with 7,300+ beds, and a talented pool of 4,000 doctors and an employee strength of over 11,000. 

Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for a multitude of patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been recognised the most respected and patient recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys.

Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa Inaugurates Vedanta Cares COVID Field Hospital In Chitradurga

* COVID Field Hospital at Chitradurga equipped with critical care facilities with 12 ICU beds with Ventilators and 88 oxygenated beds

* Vedanta setting up second field hospital in Karnataka at Hubli, adding total 200 COVID care beds in the State.

* Company delivering on its commitment to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in the State

Delivering on its commitment to enhance the healthcare infrastructure in Karnataka and support communities in the fight against Covid-19, Vedanta today commissioned its first state-of-the-art 100-bed Covid Field Hospital in the State, in Chitradurga. The Vedanta Cares Field Hospital was inaugurated virtually by Shri BS Yediyurappa, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, in the presence of Shri. Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta.

Other dignitaries present at the inauguration included Shri B Sriramulu, Minister Social Welfare & District Minister Chitradurga, Shri Narayana Swamy, Hon'ble Member of Parliament, Shri GH Thippareddy, MLA Chitradurga, Shri P Ravi Kumar, Chief Secretary Govt. of Karnataka, Shri. M Chandrappa, Hon'ble MLA , Shri. Manjunath Prasad, ACS, Revenue, Ms. Radhika, SP Chitradurga, Smt. Kavitha S Mannikeri, District Collector, Chitradurga.

The COVID Field Hospital in Chitradurga is equipped with best-in-class medical infrastructure including oxygen and ventilators for critical patients. 

Vedanta is also setting up a second Covid Field Hospital at Hubli in Karnataka with 100-beds which is in the final stages of completion. The two Vedanta Cares hospitals in Karnataka with a total of 200 Covid care beds are in line with Vedanta’s commitment to set-up 1,000 COVID care beds across India to support the Government in combatting Covid-19.

Appreciating Vedanta’s endeavour to join hands with the Government of Karnataka to counter the second wave of Covid-19, Karnataka CM Shri. B S Yediyurappa said, "I am extremely happy to note that Vedanta Group has joined hands with Government to fight against Covid-19 pandemic. On behalf of Government of Karnataka, I extend my heartful thanks to Vedanta for helping to set up Covid Care Hospital in Chitradurga. Thank you, Anil Agarwal ji and  team, for your continued support and extensive efforts."

Mr. Anil Agarwal, Chairman, Vedanta said, “I am anguished to see the impact of the second wave of Covid-19 and loss of precious lives. Vedanta is committed to beef up the medical infrastructure and is working closely with government bodies and local administration to strengthen the country’s fight against Covid-19. The Vedanta Cares field hospital in Chitradurga is a testimony to our commitment to serving communities through state-of-the-art medical facilities. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Honourable Chief Minister Shri BS Yediyurappa Ji for taking out time from his busy schedule to inaugurate the field hospital and compliment him for providing the much-needed support to people whose livelihoods have been hit by the pandemic.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Sauvick Mazumdar, CEO, Iron & Steel Business, Vedanta Limited, said, “Upgradation of healthcare infrastructure is incredibly important in response to the Covid pandemic which has put tremendous stress on existing healthcare infrastructure. Our 100-bedded Covid field hospital equipped with critical care support at Chitradurga will help to take some stress off the healthcare system in Karnataka and will help to ensure the safety of our local communities around Chitradurga. We are committed to support the Karnataka Government in combating Covid and will soon be completing second Covid Field hospital at Hubli thereby adding 200-beds medical infrastructure in the state of Karnataka”

Mr. Krishna Reddy, Director, Vedanta’s Iron Ore Karnataka said, “At Vedanta we are committed to the health and safety of all our stakeholders and communities around. In this unprecedented time of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vedanta is providing relief to people through various community outreach initiatives by supporting the State & District administrations. This Covid field hospital is the testimony to our philosophy of care, and we will continue in our endeavour to partner with Karnataka Government and our country at large, to overcome this health crisis.”

During the first wave of Covid-19 last year, Vedanta Iron Ore Karnataka provided relentless support to the people of Karnataka and frontline warriors by contributing to the CM relief fund, providing masks, sanitizers and supplying groceries during the lockdown. Vedanta group is working on several initiatives to support the fight against the second wave as well and has supplied 8.26 Lakh litres of medical oxygen and set up three oxygen plants.