Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) on Friday pledged to bear the cost of vaccinations for its 139,000 employees and their family members, including spouse, children and parents.
RIL expects to vaccinate around 900,000 people, including family members of employees, the company said.
“Reliance will bear the full cost of vaccination for you, your spouse, your parents, and vaccine-eligible-aged children. You and your family’s safety and well-being is our responsibility,” Nita Ambani, non-executive director, Reliance Industries and chairperson of Reliance Foundation, said in an internal memo to employees.
Earlier this week, Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Infosys Ltd, Accenture Plc, RPG Group and State Bank of India announced immunization plans for staff and their dependents.
Several firms are offering employees free vaccination as a way to persuade them to return to office faster and assure worried workers amid a second wave of infections.
The vaccination drive in India was expanded to include those aged 60 years or older and people above 45 suffering from multiple health conditions from 1 March. The government has also involved private hospitals.
“With your support, we will soon be able to put the pandemic behind us. Until then, do not let your guard down,” said Ambani, adding that the country was in the last stage of the battle against the pandemic. “Together, we must win, and we will.”
Nearly 1.1 million vaccine doses were administered to people above the age of 60 and those in the 45-59 age group till Thursday. According to Union health ministry data, the number of covid-19 vaccine doses administered in India has crossed 17.7 million.
