New Delhi: The US City of Dallas, Texas and the Indian American CEO Council (IACEO) have joined hands to help India’s fight against the COVID-19 which has been taking a heavy toll in terms of loss of lives and have arranged relief supplies such as PPE Kits worth USD 1 million for the Western State of the country-Rajasthan.
At Dallas City Hall, it was announced that the City of Dallas and IACEO have partnered up with Dallas Foundation.org in a new initiative to help assist Jaipur, Rajasthan India during the deadly second wave of the COVID-19. The move was initiated by the Co-founder of the IACEO Council, Arun Agarwal who is a native of Jaipur, Rajasthan. Agarwal is also Indian American CEO of the Dallas-based Nextt.
Announcing the partnership with Dallas Mayer Eric Johnson along with other major contributors, Arun Agarwal said, “Being raised in Jaipur, this is very personal to me and I will use all resources possible to help the city and my state-Rajasthan. We have discussed in details the requirements and have people to contribute in helping India at the time of a major health crisis.”
Recently Mayor Johnson along with Arun Agarwal had a virtual call with the Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Mr. Raghu Sharma, to discuss and understand the needs of the people and health organizations of Jaipur / Rajasthan, India.
Commenting on the partnership, Eric Johnson said, “India is critically short of Oxygen, PPE Kits and other necessary medicare supplies to fight COVID-19. When Dallas needed help, people around the world stepped up. Now, it is time for us to pay it forward. We are partnering with Indian American CEO Council to send immediate help to India.”
“I am excited to announce that we have received commitments for more than USD one million worth of PPE that will go to India. We are encouraging people to make donations to IACEO Council’s COVID Relief Fund at Dallas Foundation,” he added.
So far, the relief effort has raised more than $1 million worth of personal protective equipment, including masks and gloves.
“The crisis in India is heartbreaking and beyond comprehension,” Agarwal said. “I am incredibly grateful to Mayor Johnson for stepping up to ask how Dallas can help the people of India through this city-to-city connection,” the co-founder of IACEO Council said. The Dallas Foundation is accepting donations at DallasFoundation.org/IndiaCovidRelief.
Earlier in the month, three Indian-American CEOs Sunder Pichai from Google, Punit Renjen from Deloitte and Shantanu Narayen from Adobe had joined the steering committee of the Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, which is overseeing an unprecedented corporate sector initiative to help India successfully fight COVID-19. The CEOs have been active in organizing U.S. companies’ response to the COVID-19 crisis in India. The U.S. corporate sector so far has committed more than 25,000 oxygen concentrators for India. Over 1,000 ventilators are expected to reach India by June 3. Together, these businesses are expected to provide over $30 million in support for India’s healthcare response.