Millions in cash, supplies raised by groups in Singapore for India Covid-19 relief efforts

The amount raised includes $2.4 million in cash which will go towards purchasing 2,500 oxygen concentrators. PHOTO: EPA-EFE

Updated

Published

May 21, 2021, 05:21 PM

SINGAPORE - Many groups in Singapore have raised millions in aid in the form of cash and supplies for India as it battles a devastating Covid-19 wave.

The Pan Indian Institutes of Management Alumni (PIIMA), an alumni association, has raised $5.4 million with the #BreatheLifeIntoIndia campaign launched on May 1.

The amount raised includes $2.4 million in cash which will go towards the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) for purchasing 2,500 oxygen concentrators. The remaining $3 million is in the form of material aid.

Individual donors, comprising mainly Indian Institute of Management (IIM) alumni, contributed the bulk of the cash portion, at $1.6 million. The remaining $800,000 came from corporate donors approached by PIIMA.

Through the campaign, PIIMA also helped in the acquisition of medical supplies for India by identifying suppliers, negotiating prices and coordinating with various entities for the purchase of oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators for partners including ACT Grants - a non-governmental organisation that handles last-mile distribution in India - Temasek Foundation and the Indian High Commission.

Among other things, they enabled the shipment of 6,300 oxygen cylinders and eight Pressure Swing Absorption (PSA) plants.

Mr Benjamin William, chief executive and secretary-general of the SRC, said: "This collaboration has helped to accelerate the delivery of equipment to India by the Singapore Red Cross. The Singapore IIM alumni team has brought value beyond just raising funds and we are grateful for this collaboration."

Coordinating with the India Red Cross, SRC is managing the last-mile distribution of oxygen concentrators funded and sourced by PIIMA.

PIIMA said its volunteer sourcing team worked across its alumni network to place orders with trusted suppliers, organise logistics, make quality checks and get last-mile delivery organised.

The community leveraged its networks to identify supply sources within Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taipei and Turkey.

Mr Suresh Shankar, president of PIIMA, said: "(The alumni community) opened their wallets and their networks, but also gave the most precious asset in this crisis - their managerial time."

Other organisations have also helped to raise funds for India.

The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Singapore, the local chapter of the global TiE community and the largest global entrepreneur and investor foundation, has led a Mission India campaign that has raised US$2.2 million (S$2.93 million), more than double its target of US$1 million through the "I Breathe For India" celebrity fund-raiser.

The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry donated $50,000 to the India Covid Relief Fund steered by the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Little India Shopkeepers Association.