Wipro Chairperson Rishad Premji announced on Monday that the IT giant had finished distributing the last of the cooked meals from the Wipro kitchens as a part of the company’s COVID-19 relief work. The food was distributed to migrant workers stranded due to the lockdown. Thanking the Wipro team for their efforts, he said, “We served 2.97 millions meals over 74 continuous days.”
“Your commitment, resilience and humanity is greatly appreciated,” he added.
We finished the last of the cooked meals from our Wipro kitchens as part of our relief work. We served 2.97 millions meals over 74 continuous days. Thanks to the entire Wipro team behind this effort. Your commitment, resilience and humanity is greatly appreciated. @Wipro
— Rishad Premji (@RishadPremji) June 15, 2020
The company has been aiding with COVID-19 related relief work in other ways as well. Earlier, Wipro had earned praise when it announced in May that it would convert its Pune office facility into a hospital dedicated to treating novel coronavirus patients – a first of its kind.
This hospital, which opened in early June, is set up in Hinjewadi in Pune on a public-private partnership model, and has the capacity of 504 beds, 18 ventilators, intensive care units and other medical facilities. The hospital also reportedly has two well-equipped ambulances.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had also praised Wipro’s efforts when the hospital was inaugurated. “They (Wipro) have given it (the hospital) to us in just one and a half months by signing a reconciliation agreement on May 5. The hospital building is a symbol of the quality and pace at which Wipro works for the society as well. I sincerely thank Rishad Premji (Azim Premji’s son) for this,” Uddhav Thackeray had said.
“A well-known global company like Wipro has shown its willingness to come up with an up-to-date facility on its own and we immediately approved it,” the Maharashtra CM added.
Further, Azim Premji – the founder of Wipro – has reportedly become the third biggest private donor globally to help fight COVID-19 as of April 27, according to Forbes list of top 10 private donations. Wipro, Wipro Enterprises, and the Azim Premji Foundation’s donations to fight the pandemic collectively sum up to Rs 1,125 crore or $132 million. Of these, the Azim Premji Foundation has contributed Rs 1000 crore, while Wipro and Wipro Enterprises have contributed Rs 100 crore and Rs 25 crore respectively. This was exclusive of the other Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities being undertaken by Wipro.