For Kunal and Rahul Agarwal, January 12 wasn’t just another day. Eight years after the siblings decided to take their family-run business into uncharted territories, they could finally heave a sigh of relief.
That’s because, on January 12, Kool-ex, a company they own, became the first transporter in India to ferry the first batch of the long-awaited Covid-19 vaccine, intended to vaccinate millions of Indians, from Serum Institute of India’s (SII) manufacturing facility in Pune to the city’s airport.
SII is currently mandated with supplying over 30 crore vaccine doses to the Indian government, and the first consignment of these—478 boxes, each weighing 32 kg—were loaded onto three trucks meant for 13 cities. “We carried the first consignment to the airport,” says Kunal. “We will then pick up consignments at the destination airports and move them forward to the final destinations.”
The trucks, escorted by armed police vehicles, are equipped with GPS and will be monitored in real-time by the brothers, who can track everything from the temperature inside the trucks to the opening of their doors. “We are excited at being deemed capable enough to serve the nation as we had to undergo a stringent quality approval process,” says Rahul, managing director at Kool-ex. “It's something very prestigious for us.”
With over 10 million Covid-19 cases, India is the world’s second worst-hit country. The Indian government began vaccinations with Covishield, a vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and manufactured by Pune-based SII, and Covaxin, manufactured by Hyderabad-based Bharat Biotech, from January 16.
Denne historien er fra February 12, 2021-utgaven av Forbes India.
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Denne historien er fra February 12, 2021-utgaven av Forbes India.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
The pandemic has also brought with it an improved focus on hygiene, use of technology in dining, rise of cloud kitchens and resurgence in popularity of Indian ingredients
Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
LEADERSHIP WILL BE ABOUT SEEING THE BIGGER PICTURE
Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
A virus has caused us to scramble for oxygen but our chokehold on the environment is slowly strangling the very waters that breathe life into us. The virus is a timely reminder: We are merely consumers, not producers of life’s breath on this planet
