Will Mukesh Ambani donate to fight coronavirus? India’s richest man faces criticism for ‘ringing a bell’, while billionaires Bill Gates and Jack Ma dig deep

Mar 30 , 2020

Is Mukesh Ambani doing enough to fight coronavirus? Photo: Reuters

Once an award-winning philanthropist, the Reliance Industries chairman has been slow to react to Covid-19, while daughter Isha was slammed for hosting a huge Holi party earlier this month

Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest men in Asia, has been in the news a lot as Covid-19 cases in the region and his own home country continue to grow. While some have criticised what he and his family have and haven’t done in the wake of the global pandemic, there are also reasons to praise his actions and the potential they have to save lives.

The Ambani tradition of helping

How has Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries, reacted to the coronavirus? Photo: AFP

Ambani’s firm, Reliance Industries, is the largest firm in South Asian, employing about half a million people not only in India but also in the Middle East and Europe. Ambani is working hard to prevent his employees catching Covid-19, as is clear from his recent directives to local and international offices.

He is making it easy for his employees to work from home to protect themselves, their children and family members from contracting the potentially deadly disease. He has set up a medical helpline for employees and their families, established medical teams at all his campuses and laid out social distancing and hygiene guidelines to protect staff members and customers alike from infection.

Additionally, Ambani took part in India’s recent “Janta Curfew”, a voluntary measure put forth by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to encourage people to stay home as much as possible, while taking time to appreciate health care workers and first responders by ringing bells in their honour at a set time.