Indian firms line up aid for Japan

suchithkc

It's payback time for Indian companies to quality guru Japan, which is reeling under the effects of an unprecedented natural disaster. And Indian companies, both from the private and public sectors, are coming forward to lend a helping hand.

Workers and engineers at one unit of automobile major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) have mobilised Rs 21 lakh towards relief fund for the earthquake and tsunami victims in distant Japan and more funds may be on the way.

"The employees of our Kandivali plant ( in Mumbai) have voluntarily deducted a day's wage amounting to Rs 21 lakh towards contribution for victims in Japan. I am really moved. We owe them ( the Japanese) a debt for helping to create a quality movement in India," said Anand Mahindra, vice chairman & managing director ( MD), Mahindra Group.

Mahindra was speaking at a recent function organised by the Indian Merchants' Chamber ( IMC), which was giving away the Ramakrishna Bajaj National quality awards to Indian companies for excelling in quality.

Mahindra was awarded the IMC Juran quality medal for his contribution to quality. The medal has been instituted in the name of veteran American management consultant Joseph M. Juran who had transformed Japan into a nation obsessed with quality.

"If today M& M has some reputation in quality and if today we are the recipient of the Juran quality medal it is because quality is in our DNA. So far as the quality movement is concerned we owe a debt to Japan," Mahindra said.

Air India, which operated several special flights to evacuate stranded Indians, transported 25 tonnes of relief material to Japan, free of cost. This consignment, mainly high quality blankets, was donated by the Union government for the victims.

"Air India carried approximately 25 tonnes of relief material to Japan on two of its flights on March 15 and 16, 2011. The relief material included two consignments each of 10,000 high quality blankets sent by the government. More such relief material, if made available, would be transported to Japan," said an Air India spokesperson.

MTNL, another public sector company has cut ISD call rates to Japan by almost 70%. As a special gesture it is charging ` 1.25 per minute for landline calls and Rs 4 for mobile calls made from its network to Japan.

From the private sector, Aircel had announced a special scheme at reduced rates for calls made to Japan. However, this scheme came to an end on Monday.Another telecom player, MTS has also cut call rates by 78 per cent to enable its customers to reach out to the victims and affected people in Japan.

Global real estate consultant Jones Lang LaSalle India said that its parent firm Jones Lang LaSalle has donated $ 1.25 million to the Japanese Red Cross to provide aid and relief directly to those affected.

"Our donation is meant as an earnest statement of concern for and support of the people of Japan," said Colin Dyer, chief executive officer ( CEO), Jones Lang LaSalle. " We're providing this donation to the Red Cross as the most effective means of delivering immediate aid to those people and areas in greatest need. We encourage other organisations to join us and pledge their support to the Japanese relief efforts," he said.

"Following a series of natural disasters and now nuclear disaster, there are mounting risks facing our country and there remains a substantial and ongoing need for humanitarian assistance for the families affected," said Yoichiro Hamaoka, Jones Lang LaSalle's managing director for Japan in a statement.

It is expected that in the coming days the big daddies of Indian Inc will come forward with their contributions to help rebuild a ravaged nation that helped usher in the quality revolution all over the world.

TIME TO LEND A HAND TO LIFE

Workers & engineers at M& M's Kandivali plant ( in Mumbai) have voluntarily given a day's wage amounting to Rs 21 lakh for a relief fund. More funds from M& M may be on the way

Air India operated several special flights to evacuate stranded Indians

It also transported 25 tonnes of relief material to Japan free of cost Air India says it would transport more available relief material. MTNL has cut ISD rates to Japan by almost 70%. A special scheme at reduced rates for calls made to Japan was announced by Aircel. However, it has come to an end MTS has also cut call rates by 78% Jones Lang LaSalle has donated $ 1.25 mn to the Japanese Red Cross to help provide direct aid.