NewDelhi May 14 : External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday discussed India’s urgent requirements for its Covid-19 response, including oxygen and vaccines, during a virtual meeting with a group of CEOs of top American companies.
Jaishankar interacted with the US Global Task Force on Pandemic Response, a country-specific group formed last month by CEOs of some 40 top American firms to help India fight the pandemic.
‘Interacted with the US Global Task Force on Pandemic Relief. Appreciate the participation of the CEOs and their support for India’s current efforts,’ Jaishankar tweeted.
‘Discussed our priorities (oxygen, vaccines, pharmaceuticals) and the importance of effective supply chains.
Underlined the global implications of a stronger India-US health collaboration,’ he said in another tweet.
‘Meeting was an affirmation of our exceptional relationship. Deeply value the sentiments expressed,’ Jaishankar added.
There was no official word on the meeting or its outcomes.
The US is among a growing list of countries that have provided equipment and supplies to help India cope with a devastating second wave of the pandemic that has seen Coronavirus infections surge well past the 350,000-mark for several days.
The US Global Task Force is public-private initiative of the US-India Business Council, the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum and the Business Roundtable. At a meeting held in Washington on April 26, the group pledged to provide 20,000 oxygen concentrators to India in the next few weeks.
The task force acts as a unified platform for US businesses to mobilise and deliver resources to assist Covid-19 efforts in areas of the highest need around the world. Its initial efforts will focus on the pressing need for support in India, and it has been working in close collaboration with US and Indian officials to share information and coordinate efforts.
The members of its steering committee include Alphabet Inc chief executive Sundar Pichai, Deloitte CEO Punit Renjen, Adobe Systems CEO Shantanu Narayan, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, Apple CEO Tim Cook, FedEx president Raj Subramaniam and IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.
The countries that have delivered medical supplies and equipment to India include Russia, France, the UK, Germany, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, Portugal, Sweden, New Zealand, Kuwait and Mauritius.