Samsung, Hyundai, LG donate funds, goods for India under COVID-19 lockdown

Korean companies are making various donations to Indian organizations to help them fight the novel coronavirus as the country is under heavy lockdown, according to the industry on Wednesday.

Although Korean businesses that have manufacturing facilities in India have suspended their operations upon state order since last month, the firms are coming up with measures to support local governments in the states where they are running the plants.

Samsung Electronics said its India branch made a pledge to contribute 200 million rupees ($2.6 million) to the union and state governments across the country.

Samsung will be donating 150 million rupees to the Prime Minister Cares Fund, and 50 rupees to the states of Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, to support the country’s fight against the pandemic.

Earlier, the Korean tech giant provided hospitals in the regions with medical equipment and aid, including thousands of preventive masks and personal protection equipment kits.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, local time, posted a tweet tagging Samsung India in support of the contribution.

Hyundai Motor, which has a major automobile plant in Chennai, recently donated 50 million rupees and is planning to make an additional contribution to the prime minister’s fund.

The carmaker will also deliver COVID-19 diagnosis kits for as many as 25,000 people there.

Furthermore, Hyundai is planning to contract manufacture respirators to supply for Indian hospitals lacking such medical equipment.

LG Electronics will supply food for 1 million people from low-income families in the country. The company has provided food for about 1,000 Indians from vulnerable classes in Noida.

The LG affiliate has also donated air purifiers, water purifiers and TVs for hospitals and quarantine facilities in Tamil Nadu.

The Korean companies have halted plant operations since March 25. The suspension period has been extended to May 3.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)