Diageo India to produce bulk hand sanitiser across 15 manufacturing units

Diageo India, the beverage alcohol company, has announced that it will support the government and hospitality sector during this pandemic through the manufacture of hand sanitisersfrom its 15 Manufacturing Units across the country, donation of ENA to the sanitiser industry, health insurance cover to on-trade partners and donation of free masks to government public health departments.

To help overcome any shortage of hand sanitisers across the country, the brand’s manufacturing units will be repurposed to produce around 300,000 liters of hand sanitisers. In addition, Diageo will donate 500,000 litres of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) to the sanitiser industry to make (2 million units of 250 ml each) hand sanitisers.

“We stand united with the Government and Citizens of our country in the fight against the Corona virus. The demand for sanitisers is increasing by the hour, and we would like to use our manufacturing units to join in the effort to fill the demand-supply gap for sanitisers, so critical at this hour. Healthcare providers are at the forefront of this fight, and donating masks is a token of our appreciation for their selfless dedication to fighting the epidemic,” said Anand Kripalu, managing director and CEO, Diageo India.

“We also want to support our partners in the hospitality industry, especially bartenders who are facing unprecedent challenges due to closure of restaurants and bars,” he added.

Moreover, with the bar and restaurant communities facing unprecedented challenges from the impact of COVID-19, the company has pledged to support trade with a Rs 30 million health insurance cover for bartenders associated with the Diageo World Class programme in India. Additionally, the company will also support continued learning and skill building for the bartenders during this lean period, through complimentary access to virtual training and online learning through providing access to the Diageo Bar Academy Training Course.

Lastly, approximately 150,000 masks are being donated to five state’s public health departments across the country to be used by health care professionals and care givers who are selflessly extending their service to Covid-19 affected patients.