As India grapples with the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, it also deals with an acute shortage of oxygen supply. The Mahindra Group’s free service initiative — Oxygen on Wheels (O2W) — aims to strengthen oxygen availability by connecting producers with hospitals and medical centres that are in dire need of it.

O2W is helmed by Mahindra Logistics Limited (MLL), a Mahindra Group company, which has been partnering with civic administration and hospitals to bridge the gap between supply and demand. The initiative began with 100 vehicles ferrying medical oxygen to seven cities in Maharashtra — Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chakan, Nagpur and Nashik. During the second phase, O2W has been launched in Delhi and Punjab as well.

With a large fleet of vehicles at its disposal and an integrated command and control centre, MLL is working on creating a seamless and endless chain of supply of lifesaving oxygen and transport it to the hospitals and medical centres in a way that is safe and reliable. MLL is an integrated third-party logistics (3PL) service provider specialising in supply chain management and enterprise mobility (people transport solutions). Founded more than a decade ago, MLL serves over 400+ corporate customers across various industries like Automobile, Engineering, Consumer Goods and E-commerce.

Talking about the initiative, Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO, Mahindra Group, said, “We are committed to deploying our resources and capabilities innovatively to address the challenge on hand. Oxygen on Wheels meets an urgent need by partnering with local authorities to help save precious lives and reduce the pressure on our healthcare services.”

The Mahindra Group has been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. The Group’s efforts cover a wide spectrum — from raising funds to sustain the government’s relief efforts and providing ICU beds, emergency cab services, quarantine centres, monetary support and dry rations for the underprivileged, re-engineering its production lines and facilities to manufacture much-needed PPE, face shields, face masks and aerosol boxes to aid the fight against coronavirus.

The Group is also closely working with the government to set up oxygen plants and building isolation centres. M&M’s plants, as well as its suppliers, are not using oxygen for any industrial activity. Tech Mahindra supported the Nursing Academy’s staff, and students have been helping in various hospitals. Vaccination has also been a key priority for the Group, with emphasis on 100 per cent vaccination for all its associates and their families.