US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and our members appreciate the efforts by leaders across the U.S. government at the highest level to identify concrete steps the United States can take to assist India through this crisis. We look forward to announcements soon that will support India’s efforts to fill needs like oxygen, medicines, medical supplies, and vaccines. This should include a waiver of current restrictions on the export of vaccine raw materials to ensure the production of vaccines in India can continue uninterrupted. USISPF and our members stand ready to support the assistance efforts of the US government at this critical time.
Already, USISPF and members are working on several fronts to assist citizens of India:
1. India will soon receive at least a dozen ISO containers that will help transport oxygen within the country. These containers are being shipped or airlifted from different parts of Asia. Another dozen containers have already been identified for shipment to India and efforts are on to triple this number.
2. Members are working on airlifting oxygen cylinders into Delhi and a few other states that face a shortage of oxygen supply.
3. Through a generous donation of its member companies, USISPF has placed orders to source 100,000 portable oxygen concentrators for use at home and hospitals to be shipped to India immediately. USISPF is already in touch with manufacturers in US, Mexico, Malaysia and China, Sourcing of these concentrators is an enormous task due to supply-side constraints.
4. India will soon also receive a significant shipment of vaccines directly from pharmaceutical companies.
5. USISPF has also approached companies in the US to supply and/or donate ICU beds, Covid-Test kits, N-95 Masks and other medical equipment. We expect the shipments to begin as early as Tuesday / Wednesday of the coming week.
6. On the ground, USISPF is working with member companies and NGO partners to set up vaccination and medical centers on corporate campuses.
“Fighting the pandemic effectively will require concerted action on all fronts. At this time, the need is enormous, and all resources have to pooled,” said USISPF President and CEO, Mukesh Aghi. “We are working closely with the Government of India to ensure seamless movement of critical equipment and supplies. USISPF will be soon setting up a dedicated web portal to centralize the efforts of individuals and other companies.”