●        Meeting oxygen supply via oxygen cylinders and concentrators for the COVID patients

●        Facilitating in-person and telemedicine consultations for those with chronic conditions

●        Procuring and distributing PPE to health professionals and essential workers and others

The mini grid villages in India have observed an intense health crisis in 2021 as compared to 2020. As per the recent surveys conducted by SPI across mini-grid villages, 77% participants expressed COVID care facilities are inaccessible in case of emergency. Last year the main concern for rural households was livelihood. This year it is about access to healthcare. Lack of awareness and COVID appropriate behaviour still exists in the rural community with half the participants surveyed believing that their communities aren’t taking preventive measures like masking and sanitizing.

Commenting on the partnership, Jaideep Mukherji, CEO, Smart Power India, said, “Last year we focussed on providing livelihood support to the rural community. This year, we see an urgent need to address the issue of lack of access to quality medical services. Health and safety of our mini grid customers and ESCO employees are some of our immediate priorities. These partnerships aim to support our ailing health infrastructure.”

SPI had launched a Customer Voucher Scheme (CVS) for mini-grid customers in 2020. It aimed to benefit over 125,000 lives in 200 mini-grid villages in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. CVS enabled the mini-grid customers to redeem the vouchers against their monthly electricity bill issued by Mini-Grid Operators (MGO) for a period of 3 months.  The scheme is believed to impact over 125,000 lives in 200 mini-grid villages. This year, SPI is in the process of planning such health related incentives to ease the health care burden in the catchment areas.

Contribution details:

About Smart Power India (SPI)

SPI, a subsidiary of the Rockefeller Foundation, was established in 2015 to develop and scale sustainable models to accelerate electricity access and spur economic development amongst the rural underserved communities. It is committed to create knowledge and accountability in the public domain through robust evidence-based research and provide field and analytical support to the Government, private sector, implementers and other donors in their pursuits for rural electricity access.  SPI develops and disseminates relevant knowledge in the rural electricity access and services space with an aim to promote research and innovation and partners with policymakers, practitioners and academic institutions to come up with actionable insights and innovative strategies. While SPI’s work covers the spectrum of supply and demand side issues of rural electricity, its focus is the last-mile customer. SPI exchanges knowledge by promoting and facilitating platforms for networking, knowledge sharing and collaborative research, networking, knowledge sharing and collaborative research.

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A pulse oximeter is a device that measures blood oxygen levels non-invasively. Not many people have a pulse oximeter at home, and while having things delivered during a lockdown can be challenging, your health can’t take a back seat. To ease monitoring oxygen levels, MFine, India’s top-rated healthcare app, has introduced an app-based SpO2 tracker. 

The MFine SpO2 tracker tool gives the same results with medical-grade accuracy by simply using your smartphone’s camera. This brings healthcare literally to your fingertips. Beyond Covid-19, regular monitoring of SpO2 levels is also recommended for those suffering from Anemia, Asthma, COPD, and other respiratory illnesses. 

To generate awareness about this AI-powered feature that MFine launched recently, it has rolled out an influencer campaign #CareComesHome with Do Your Thng, a branded content marketplace.

The campaign roped in influencers from all segments and any profession, irrespective of their number of followers. Using the power of video content, the campaign talks about keeping the MFine app handy for monitoring SpO2 levels regularly, staying home and consulting with doctors online if any health need arises. They also share their own life experiences where healthcare services from MFine can be helpful to other users as well, such as ordering lab tests at home, medicine delivery, X-rays and scans.

Highlighting the concept of the campaign, Ankit Agarwal, Founder, Do Your Thng said, “The campaign is meant for the masses, and the best way to reach the masses is to be one of them. So, we incorporated the idea of using a crowd of influencers known for their impactful content to spread the message and do so in order of magnitude.”

He further added that “This campaign which highlights the usage of MFine’s app-based pulse oximeter, could be of use to anybody sitting at any place. The intention is to keep track of the oxygen levels, being inside your homes and not stepping out of your houses and facing the havoc of COVID.”

According to Jyoti Sinha, Angel Mummy 91, Influencer, “This second wave of COVID-19 is tricky, and it is our responsibility to be aware and take extra precautions. If you or members of your family have breathing difficulties or have an active covid infection, you should regularly monitor your oxygen saturation levels. And now you can do so by just using your smartphone on the #MFine app! This is a very useful tool to have this time.”

Campaign Links

• https://www.instagram.com/p/COIZ1E3HqUV/ 
• https://www.instagram.com/p/COIdp6bHmrx/ 
• https://www.instagram.com/p/COrpcBClllN/
• https://www.instagram.com/p/COunakNpP1M/ 

About Do Your Thng (DYT) 

DYT is a branded content marketplace that acts as the bridge between marketers and brand advocates – creators who are also authentic product users and genuinely want to recommend a brand to their community.

To learn more, please visit https://doyourthng.com/.

About MFine:

MFine is an AI-driven, on-demand healthcare platform that provides its users access to virtual consultations and connected care programmes from the country’s top hospitals. It partners with leading and trusted hospitals instead of aggregating individual doctors. MFine users can consult doctors from their preferred hospitals via chat or video to get prescriptions and/or routine care. Users can also book routine lab tests, medicine delivery and access comprehensive health packages. MFine was launched in December 2017 by Ashutosh Lawania and Prasad Kompalli, who were later joined by Ajit Narayanan and Arjun Choudhary.

To learn more, please visit https://www.mfine.co/.

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Yuvraj Bhardwaj, Chief Executive Officer, Petonic Infotech said, “Petonic Infotech is partnering with different NGOs from United States and India for COVID relief in India. In this initiative Petonic Infotech has mobilized approximately 2 Crore INR, for COVID relief for the society as of now & also pushing for more. The major intent of this initiative is to procure Oxygen Concentrators & other goods required to fulfil the oxygen requirements in rural parts of India.”

“Different societies and multinationals are also supposed to join the initiative to make this a grand success, and help our country to successfully come out of this pandemic with least fatality. Other than this, Petonic Infotech is also engaged in running different ‘Free of Cost’ helplines for people to consult Doctors telephonically and get themselves treated,” Bhardwaj added.

Mr Yuvraj Bhardwaj is ably supported by his twin brother Yashraj Bhardwaj to take strategic decisions and initiatives in playing a meaningful role amidst the ongoing COVID crisis that India is going through. The brothers have been researchers, ideators and entrepreneurs who started their entrepreneur journey at a very young age. Since then, they had undertaken 36 Research Projects, filed 18 patent applications and launched various innovative, breakthrough products and companies in India and global market. Petonic Infotech is one of the group company of Bhardwaj duo.

The company has its Corporate Headquarters at New Delhi, with a representative office in Hong Kong. The uniqueness of Petonic Infotech as a consultancy firm lies in its collaborative approach with focus on innovative & creative solutions as per organisational needs. Outcome based business model has been success factor for Petonic Infotech. The company also build distinctive and adaptive strategies that help organisation to succeed in today’s complex and uncertain world. Since inception, the company has been able to register a tremendous growth and transformed a large number of Corporates, Societies and Markets. The Company with its business well-established in India and Hong Kong is also aiming to penetrate USA market soon this year.

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Key thought leaders and sector experts who spoke at the forum included: Gurcharan Das, Author, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog,  Hansal Mehta, Film Maker, Dr. Yusuf K Hamied, Chairman, Cipla, Dr. Zoya Rizvi, Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Don Gips, CEO, Skoll Foundation, Hari Menon, Country Director, India, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Pritha Venkatachalam Partner Bridgespan, Ravi Venkatesan, Trustee of Rockefeller Foundation  and Founder & Chairman, GAME, Meera Mehta, Executive Director, Center for Water and Sanitation (CWAS), CEPT University, Shilpa Kumar, Partner, Omidyar Network, Lucy Bernholz, Director, Digital Civil Society Lab & Senior Research Scholar, Stanford PACS, Vidya Shah, Chairperson & CEO, EdelGive Foundation among others. The experts shared their views on multiple aspects of ‘A Billion Thriving’ through panel discussions, data sharing and knowledge sharing sessions, highlighting the critical need for helping the most vulnerable populations thrive.

‘A Billion Thriving’: A Philanthropic Movement to Empower India

The sessions highlighted the need for shifting philanthropic discussions from surviving to thriving with focused interventions directed towards the most vulnerable sections of society. The year 2020 presented a number of hard truths, exposing deep fault lines around inequities seeping across the country. This is, therefore, a wakeup call to reimagine the traditional approach towards strategic and collaborative philanthropy and the impact it can have in addressing the pressing issues. The India Philanthropy Report 2021, co-created by Dasra and Bain and Company, released during this week, revealed that in FY 2020, private-sector funding totalled about INR 64,000 crore—close to 23% more than in FY 2019. This demonstrates the potential of family philanthropy in India to drive social impact and support  ‘A Billion Thriving’ especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and to promote a culture of philanthropy in a fast changing regulatory environment. Commenting on the Dasra Philanthropy Week and the idea of ‘A Billion Thriving’, Neera Nundy, Co-founder, Dasra, said, “Dasra’s focus is on working with vulnerable communities that face disproportionate risk and are trapped in a socio-economic system that has deemed them largely invisible. To help uplift these communities and realise the potential of over a billion Indians, the first step is to champion diversity and build resilience.

But to achieve this, family philanthropists, NGOs, foundations, corporates and governments will need to work together to regularly exchange knowledge and learnings, align on a shared vision, build a collective voice, and combine resources to invest in scalable, inclusive and sustainable solutions. Only then can we say, with our hand on our heart, that we are India, a nation of A Billion Thriving.”

The JEDI talks (Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion) introduced this year as part of the Dasra Philanthropy Week highlighted the need to promote justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in philanthropic discussions in India to achieve the goal of ‘A Billion Thriving.’ Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, in his JEDI Talk on Family Philanthropy, said that “Global extreme poverty is expected to rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, beyond the corporate CSR and institutional Foundations, Family Philanthropists will play a pivotal role in the building of modern India in terms of bringing in ideas, innovation and institutions.”

The week-long event witnessed high-impact discussions and dialogues on critical issues such as harnessing the power of India’s young population, the need to accelerate innovations in water sanitation and hygiene (WASH), exploring the intersections between climate change and adolescents, encouraging collaborative action to achieve systemic change, harnessing the power of data, and ensuring dignity and equity for vulnerable workers in India.

The sessions discussed innovative ways to take advantage of India’s unique demographic dividend for driving positive social change. India has more than half of its population under the age of 25 years. The session on ‘Leveraging the dividend: the power of the youth population’ highlighted the critical role of the youth population in bringing about social change and how donors should be open to the idea of a forging  sustained partnership with young people, ensuring their active participation in decision making.

“Young people are leading the charge when it comes to calls for climate justice, right to education and economic opportunities but they don’t have a seat at the policy table,” highlighted another discussion on ‘Sunrises in the east: Exploring the intersections between climate change and adolescents’. It is therefore important to look at young people as partners trusting in their wisdom and innovative ideas.  Young people, particularly, girls are among the most vulnerable groups across a range of outcomes – from education, to sexual and reproductive health, access to resources, and economic empowerment. This vulnerability is amplified when the impact of climate change on the lives of women and girls is closely examined. “For instance, climate change events inevitably lead to economic shocks; and there is qualitative evidence to show that at these times, women and girls are at greater risk of either being married early or being trafficked,” noted the session.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant lockdown further exacerbated the situation of women and girls across the world, especially those working in the informal sector. “Eighty-five percent of India’s non-agrarian workforces comprises informal workers, many of whom are migrant workers who build our nation,” observed the session on ‘Workers in visibility: ensuring dignity and equity for vulnerable workers in India.’ The pandemic exposed the structural and systemic gaps in working conditions across industries. Migration patterns have changed dramatically in the last 6-9 months. Women’s participation has decreased from ~20% to a mere 3-5%. “The energy and momentum that various stakeholders displayed while responding to the migrant crisis was phenomenal. We must continue to pay close attention to the systemic barriers that informal workers face and carry the same empathy and urgency forward as we respond to these systemic and structural challenges,” it added.

“Collaborative action is critical to ensure systems change that will help NGOs, philanthropic organizations and individuals work together to accelerate innovative solutions to address these challenges in view of enabling ‘A Billion Thriving,’ said the session on ‘Further together: collaborative action as a pathway to systems change.’ Currently, India has four times the number of collaborative initiatives that it did in 2000. A diverse range of actors such as non-profits, funders, government departments, and others—have come together to create change across a range of issues, from climate change to financial inclusion. The wealth of experience and expertise that these collaboratives bring with them offer a tremendous opportunity for learning.

‘A Billion Thriving’ is a clarion call for coordinated action towards building a world that is based on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion. As India, along with the rest of the world, gradually recovers from the pandemic shock, family philanthropists, NGOs Corporates, Governments and Foundations will have a more crucial role to play in supporting this vision – a movement, that every stakeholder can make on their own, but centered around enabling the most vulnerable to thrive.

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BillionAbles, a 5 year old startup working for the empowerment of persons with disabilities   has launched CovidAbility, a global call to identify and support innovators and entrepreneurs working on Assistive technology solutions to help resolve some of the serious problems faced by persons with disabilities (PWDs) in this pandemic. CovidAbility is in line with the SDGs’ principles “To leave no one behind”.

BillionAbles has specifically curated this idea challenge for the innovators willing to learn, grow, and create inventive solutions for Persons with Disabilities. Innovators are free to address the needs of people with different forms of disability, whether it’s physical, sensory, psychiatric, cognitive and intellectual or multiple disabilities, etc.

Innovators are invited to participate via applying through BillionAbles website CovidAbility: Global Call for Assistive Technology Solutions for Persons with Disabilities (billionables.com)or Startup India portal Challenge (startupindia.gov.in) either individually or as a group or organization.

Innovators can apply under any of the categories mentioned here:Mobility, Health, Education, Skills & Employment, Safety & Security, Be Innovative (Any other solution). The deadline for the application is 15th of February 2021.The first three winners will be awarded and will get prizes worth Rs. 30 lakhs which includes cloud credits, development tools, physical incubation, assistive technology lab support and many more.Eligible start-ups will get an opportunity to further compete for a seed grant of up to Rs. 10 lakh each.

Commenting on the same, Mr. Sameer Garg, Founder & CEO, BillionAbles said, “Technology has made our lives easier, but it also has the power to enable lives, especially of the differently abled. Stephen Hawking is a prime example and inspiration of how technology can transform lives. I believe India has a lot of potential to bring innovative assistive technological solutions that helps people with disabilities to live independently. This competition aims to nurture the untapped potential available in our country”.

Jury Members supervising the Indian Challenge-

The confirmed jury for the Indian Challenge areMr. Pankaj Gupta, Co-CEO, Gulf Islamic Investment, Dubai, Ms. RuchiraShukla, Regional Lead, South Asia, Disruptive Technologies Direct Investing and VC Funds, International Finance Corporation, India, Ms. AnjleeAgarwal,Disability Rights Advocate,Founder- Samarthyam, India, Ms. Sandhya Prakash, CEO, Beacon Energy Solutions, Dubai, Ms. Ruma Roka, Founder, Noida Deaf Society, India

Partners supporting the Challenge –

TheKnowledge PartnerareNoida Institute of Engineering & Technology (NIET). Dr. A. P.J. Abdul Kalam University(AKTU) andSamarthyam, IncubationPartners areNIET- Technology Business Incubatorand Mobile10X, ecosystemPartnerareIAMAI Start-up FoundationandAustralia India Institute, mentoring partner are MentorXGlobal.

CovidAbility could be an opportunity for technology innovators looking to transform lives. If you are an innovator looking forward to making a difference, register for the challenge now. You can log on to http://covidability.billionables.com/  to fill in your application and know more about the challenge in detail.

It is a great opportunity for innovators coming not only from colleges and universities, but all corner the country to bring a technology solution for the people who are born with different abilities.

About Billionables:

BillionAbles is an award-winning social enterprise working since 2015 for accessibility, inclusion, and empowerment of persons with disabilities and other special needs with a vision to bring positive changes in their lives. It caters to the diverse needs of persons with disabilities, health disorders and the elderly by a range of customized and specialized services encompassing provision of BillionAbles App, Access Hunt Programs, Accessible Tours, Access Audit, workshops on skill up gradation and Entrepreneurship Development Program.

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I2Cure has collaborated with MyGate to secure its 15,000 gated communities against the pandemic spread. I2cure’s patented BioShield Antiseptic Lotion, a single-use, broad-spectrum antimicrobial that offers the protection of iodine against COVID-19 for six hours at a stretch, is a significant step up from existing alcohol-based solutions, which are merely disinfectants. While the global launch of I2Cure’s solution is planned in January 2021, MyGate, recognizing the superficial nature of disinfectants and their limited usefulness, is bringing this state-of-the-art solution to all its societies across India ahead of time. The collaboration will see MyGate assisting gated communities to strengthen their protection against the virus with I2Cure Bioshield.

Ramesh Menon, Director – Marketing Strategy & Distribution, I2Cure, says, “Our product is currently the most effective COVID-19 preventive available to the masses, and we are happy to partner with MyGate to bring it to the gates of its 15,000 communities, to ensure the safety of the millions that reside therein as well as the millions of people, from daily help to delivery executives, that visit them on a daily basis.”

Elaborating on the initiative, Mr. Abhishek Kumar, COO & Co-founder, MyGate, says, “With the MyGate collaboration, gated communities can now get direct access to I2Cure BioShield. It is a matter of pride for us to enable this for our communities, who, in turn, have already shown strong interest in using the product to break the transmission chain. This movement has the potential to dramatically slow down the spread of virus in urban India.”

With education institutions and offices closed and public transport drastically reduced, gated communities are among the most active congregations and remain potential hotspots for the virus. The majority of housing societies are taking numerous precautions – ensuring that visitors and staff wear masks, running a temperature check at the entry point – but virus transmission via surface remains a major concern. With the BioShield, housing societies can protect themselves from this risk to a great extent, enabling life to return to near normal within the society.

While sanitizers offer protection only on application, BioShield’s molecular iodine solution percolates under the skin, acting as a shield against any virus and germs for six hours at a time. With a single application at the gate or at their homes residents can be protected from the possibility of being infected by the virus.  This will result in a significant drop in the potential number of virus carriers and breaking the chain of pandemic transmission. I2cure has been tested and certified effective by Intertekk labs USA. The product’s development has been guided by Dr. Jack Kessler, whose more than 2-decade-old research into molecular iodine has led to several advancements in the field and the successful development of I2Cure without the negative characteristics of staining, irritation, toxicity and the risk of acidosis. In addition to a global launch, I2cure is currently in discussion with public health bodies for mass distribution of the BioShield.

During the pandemic, MyGate has introduced a number of new features and inked partnerships to enhance the safety of the 2.5 million families that reside in its communities. 

About I2Cure

I2Cure is a biotechnology company promoted by leaders in the scientific & business world from the USA and Singapore. I2cure comes from the mind of Dr. Jack Kessler (Father of I2) and is an FDA Compliant, ISO 9001:2015, and WHO GMP certified product. It was founded on a simple idea to provide the world with a product that gave more than just a short-term, superficial protection against germs and microbes.I2cure is the first company in the world to provide molecular Iodine based ‘Bio Shield’, a deep cleaning hand lotion that is not just effective and safe, but also provides nourishment to the human skin.

 I2Cure is a ‘Make in India’ product for the world with global production located in Uttaranchal, India.

About MyGate

Founded in 2016, MyGate is the largest security and community management app in the country, simplifying urban living of over two and half million homes in 15,000+ housing societies. It was ranked #4 on YourStory’s list of India’s Most Disruptive Start-ups in December 2019 and one of India’s coolest start-ups by Business Today in 2019. MyGate was founded by Vijay Arisetty, an ex- IAF pilot (Shaurya Chakra awardee), Abhishek, former VP at Goldman Sachs, and Shreyans Daga, former project head at Oracle and Digit.

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As the world is going through the worst ever public health crisis, multiple challenges are cropping up with infections taking place from viruses. Many of these viral infections are proven to be airborne. Experts, scientists and ASHRAE claim that viruses like COVID-19 can easily spread through indoor air circulation systems, which means that a single infected person can trigger the infection to countless others. To overcome this biggest challenge of the pandemic, Airific Systems Pvt. Ltd., a Delhi-based tech start-up, has introduced ‘UVHeal SafeAir’ – an ultra-modern ‘UV-Based HVAC Air Disinfectant’ for central air conditioning systems to break the spread of airborne diseases.

UVHeal SafeAir uses the proven UVGI (ultraviolet germicidal irradiation) technology to disinfect the circulated air by destroying the DNA or RNA of the dangerous viruses & bacteria present and hence stopping these airborne pathogens from replicating– right at the point from where the air is supplied to any premises. The product is suitable to be used in all the public places equipped with central air conditioning systems like airports, hospitals, theatres, hotels, offices, schools & colleges, restaurants, and even industrial areas.

The International Ultraviolet Association (IUVA) & ASHRAE has also suggested that UVC disinfection technology can efficiently combat the viruses responsible for causing epidemics like COVID-19, SARS COV-1, SARS COV-2, MERS-COV, etc.

Ankit Sharma, Director, Airific Systems Pvt. Ltd. states, “At Airific Systems, we aim to work on a consumer-centric approach where we bring future-driven technology that makes the lives of our customers joyful. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected individuals as well as organizations. Now is the time when we adapt ourselves to the scenario. So, when it comes to the health, comfort, and well-being of the community, UVHeal SafeAir will turn out to be the most effective solution.” “Technology has always been at the forefront of all our products and businesses and UVHeal SafeAir is no different. There are many in built technology features within the product, and we have developed a special software based on computational fluid dynamics and using simulation tools to get the highest efficient design with the highest desired efficiency to work on customer solutions.“

About Airific Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Airific Systems Pvt. Ltd. is an innovative tech start-up – from the promoters of Advant IT Park Pvt Ltd. The company has been involved with several energy-saving assignments and has been rigorously experimenting over the ultra-violet disinfection system for a while now. The company, in collaboration with IOTomation Ecotech Pvt. Ltd., designs and develops innovative an intelligent building and energy management solutions. The company strives to create a safer, efficient, and more productive community for all.

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In order to embark with the initiative, TEDxRambaug will be hosting an on-ground camp ‘BE PAWsitive’ in collaboration with Dr. Akshay Shah’s AcuVet Veterinary Clinic on 16^th October 2020 from 12 noon to 5 pm at Kalyan (West). The camp will focus and spread the awareness on the welfare of the stray dogs. 16^th October is celebrated as World Food Day, Team TEDxRambaug along with Dr. Akshay Shah is all set to contribute towards the social cause by feeding the strays and hosting a ‘free for all’ medical check-up and anti-rabies vaccination camp. With the onset of COVID-19, we have been noticing that several sectors have been drastically affected, our stray friends being one of them. Animal lovers nationwide are coming together to offer their love and support for our stray dogs. ‘BE PAWsitive’ camp solely focuses on the welfare of our strays.

Being a Veterinarian, Dr. Akshay has offered the best medical care for the individual pets around the world. He has been successfully serving an affordable comprehensive treatment with multiple vaccination and deworming camps for the animals. With the ongoing pandemic, people have become very particular in keeping their family safe. But when it comes to animals, they require the same treatment and care. Dr. Akshay has been attending various webinars to spread the awareness about the safety and precautions to be undertaken for the pets. He actively engages in ‘Acupuncture’ treatment for his patients which is said to be one of the safest forms of medical treatment that helps balance the body energies with a natural healing process.  At AcuVet, he always tries to customise the treatment plans specific to each case.

Commenting on the announcement Mr. Shubham Minde, says, “I am glad to introduce TEDxRambaug in our Kalyan City. I have personally put in all my efforts, skills and worked on a team that is passionate and dedicated to their job roles. I am equally honoured to have collaborated with AcuVet Veterinary Clinic and are all set to spread the message for the welfare of our strays through ‘BE PAWsitive’.”

Mr. Nisarg Kharat says, “With the announcement of TEDxRambaug, I aim at introducing a never seen before elevating experience to our audiences. Through this platform, we work towards enhancing the welfare of every sector affected with the ongoing pandemic. ‘BE PAWsitive’ is one such camp hosted and I am glad to be collaborated with Dr. Akshay Shah who is actively supporting the initiative in order to spread the awareness for the welfare of our strays.”

Commenting on the collaboration Dr. Akshay Shah, says, “To cure your animals, one needs to understand their needs. I always had an affectionate relationship with animals which eventually pulled me towards pursuing a career for the well-being of my companions. I am honoured to be a part of TEDxRambaug and offer my expertise to the welfare of the strays. These species need the similar care and support as we individuals. As a Veterinarian, I am completely responsible for my patient’s health. I believe in offering a dedicated service in a holistic manner, be it at my clinic or attending a camp. I thoroughly enjoy being around them and hope that my contribution will help them in their welfare.”

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The webinar was organised by Pearson’s Teacher Education and Leadership Academy and Access-School, an ed-tech start-up launching India’s 1st Hybrid-Flexible Learning Ecosystem and was divided into a 2-part online event series from September 28 to October 2.

Dr G. Balasubramanian, former Director (Academics), CBSE, said: “Education in India has been waiting for disruption for a long time. While the industrial revolution scaled to 4.0 generation, the education sector largely remained at 2.0. This long-overdue disruption received impetus from the new NEP 2020; naysayers have accepted the reality and value of technology in education during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

He went on to say that “The very definition of schools is likely to change. Access-School is a kind of school which I am looking forward to in the future”. 

Ms Seshni Naicker, Director, Teacher Education and Learning Academy, emphasized that irrespective of technology and acquisition of digital skills, teachers would always be the heart and soul of teaching. These essentials skills of empathy, cooperation, confidence, growth which are the skills of the future would come from the teachers as models.

Teachers would need to provide literacy and numeracy curriculum knowledge on the one hand and develop skills, attitudes and values on the other hand, to enable students to become global citizens, she said.

Ms Manju Gupta, Principal, Kothari International School said, “A change in mindset and attitude of a teacher is a must, and a necessity in order to stay relevant to the needs of the students. Human education must be more emphasised in today’s schools. We need to remember that education is for the growth and development of a learner, not for competition. I look forward to a tomorrow where the teacher connects with the child and not the book.”

Day 1 commenced with a webinar and panel discussion on the topic ‘Expanding the Teacher’s horizon: The Future for Educators’. Days 2 and 3 focussed on developing teachers’ skills in teaching online through two professional teacher training sessions with an international trainer. More than 200 school educators, leaders, teachers and trainers took part in the event.

The webinar delved in detail on the present challenges and opportunities for educators as well as on future skills required to stay relevant; trends and changes that are taking place globally in the education industry; and the new landscape for schools and teachers. 

Amit Mathur Co-Founder, Access-School set the tone for the future with these insights. “Basis the pan India survey we conducted last year, three critical areas in the Indian Education System that require focus are Accessibility, Adaptability and Flexibility. We at Access-School leverage technology to cater to these 3 areas and create a HyFlex school which offers blended learning opportunities for students,” she said. 

At the end of 1st part of the online event series, an open panel session was held, moderated by Ms Ruvneet Bains, Chief Learning Officer, Access-School These panellists included Mrs Kaadambari Muttoo – Ex-teacher The British School, Ex-Director Academics for GEMS India, Author; Mrs Neerja Bhasin – Innovative Science Teacher, Ex-Systems & Design Analyst and Mrs Shoma Lahiri – English Teacher and Cambridge Coordinator, Ex-The Shri Ram School. 

The event series ended on October 2 with online teaching pedagogy training sessions for teachers by Sarah White, International Teacher Trainer with Pearson Teacher Education and Leadership Academy (TELA).

While, the Teacher Education and Leadership Academy develops Pearson’s professional learning courses and resources for teachers, Access-School is an ed-tech start-up providing India’s 1st Hybrid-Flexible Learning Ecosystem. 

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These companies thought out of the box and created products and solutions to keep their workers employed, paid and insured while helping customers to get what they need. Below we list four companies that made proactive efforts to offset the impact of the pandemic on their customers, clients and employees.

Swiggy

During the Covid lockdown, there was a huge dip in the number of orders the food delivery startup, Swiggy was receiving on a daily basis. The startup was forced to cut costs and innovate to survive the downturn. Swiggy then entered the daily delivery grocery sector to provide viable income to its delivery partners and hassle-free grocery delivery to its massive consumer base.  As demand for at-home grocery delivery surged, this new business line by Swiggy helped people to find alternatives to get essentials delivered.         

Advantage Club

Advantage Club is one of India’s largest employee engagement platforms that creates a mutually beneficial relationship between large and small scale companies with other businesses and vendors to offer exclusive rewards, services and products to employees in the partnered organisations. Once the pandemic began, the company had to conceptualise a new strategy to add additional value to their partnership with their clients. The company came up with a Fight Covid Programme to help companies get back to office. Under the programme, a multi-step plan was offered for making offices Covid proof and included sanitisation chambers, workplace disinfection, PPE kits, Covid screening, and informational posters. The service also included an offering of health insurance for employees through partner firms.

Advantage Club’s offering was in line with its employee-centred business model and was aimed to make the workplace safe and secure.

Healthians

Healthians is one of India’s largest at-home health test service providers, and it has come at the forefront of the war against the pandemic through its various initiatives that were launched to help its customers and the Indian populace. Even during the pandemic, the company continued its usual operations and launched services like HPlus CorpShield for Covid screening among corporates, Covid Helpline and ChatBot, Drive-thru Covid sample collection, At-home Covid screening, etc.

The pandemic saw a dramatic fall in blood donations due to restrictions and lockdowns. In light of the situation, the company launched a blood donation service to save lives, and the service is free of charge for all. This service is integrated into the Healthians app and almost instantaneously connects consenting donors with the people in need.

Urban Company

Urban Company, formerly known as Urban Clap, is back at 90% of its pre-Covid business levels within five months since the lockdown began. This is a considerable achievement for the company as their business model relies on service professionals visiting the homes of their customers. This boost in the company’s business comes at the back of Mission Shakti — an initiative that was launched to protect the health, safety and well-being of its customers, service partners & employees.

Under the initiative, the company also set up Rs 1.5 Cr for its service workers and an Rs 11 crore in interest-free loans for businesses operating in partnership with the company.

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