Golf sponsor, Hero, donates 2-wheeler mobile ambulances; auto industry a vehicle in fight against Covid-19

V Krishnaswamy

The automobile industry is turning out to be literally a big vehicle in thefight against Covid-19. Leading this is Hero MotoCorp, which has also been a major sponsor of sports in India, particularly, Golf, Football and Hockey.

Hero, the world’s largest two-wheeler manufacturer has made a unique donation in these times of Covid-19. The company announced a donation of 60 first-responder mobile ambulances across India. The mobile ambulances will be used across India in the fight against COVID-19.

One of the biggest sponsors of sports events across India and in some parts of the world, Hero MotoCorp, sponsors golfing events on Major international Tours, like PGA, European and Asian Tours and the Ladies European Tour. It also supports the Ladies pro golf tour in India and some players.

The company is also a major sponsor in football and hockey and has in the past been a big sponsor in cricket, too, where it still supports some players and events.

The ‘Hero mobile ambulances’ are essentially Hero MotoCorp motorcycles with an engine capacity of 150cc and above. They have been equipped with the necessary emergency equipment including a sleeping arrangement, basic medical equipment, oxygen cylinder, first-aid kit, fire extinguisher and a siren.

The idea is to reach patients in rural and remote areas, where sending bigger ambulances may be difficult.

The company recently announced they would be buying back all unsold BS4 stock from its dealerships across India as new regulations for use of BS6 vehicles come into force.

Hero has also committed Rs. 100 crore (US$ 15 m) help with half of this for the PM Cars fund and the remaining for various other relief activities. These include over 15,000 meals everyday to daily-wage workers, labourers and homeless families across various states including Haryana, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR.

In addition, the BML Munjal University has offered its 2000-bed hostel for isolation and treatment of patients.

Many other players in thee automobile industry are also helping out. Mahindra and Maruti Suzuki are making ventilators as well as other equipment like face shields and personal protective equipment (PPE) for front line workers and Tata Motors and TVS are procuring medical equipment while Bajaj Auto is working towards setting up isolation wards, upgrading ICUs, etc.