COVID-19: Lakshmi Mittal announces contribution of Rs 100 cr to PM CARES Fund

NRI billionaire Lakshmi N Mittal on Tuesday announced a contribution of Rs 100 crore to the PM CARES Fund to combat the spread of the deadly coronavirus in India.

"ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India), a joint venture between (L N Mittal's) ArcelorMittal and Japan's Nippon Steel, and HMEL, a partnership between Hindustan Petroleum and Mittal Energy Investments, today announced a package of support to strengthen India's capacity to protect families and communities impacted by the virus.

"Both our operations in India commit equally to a total of Rs 100 crore to PM-CARES for the ongoing relief efforts countrywide," Mittal said in a statement.

"Citizens across India have shown extraordinary dedication, bravery and compassion in this moment of singular crisis and they deserve our support and the gratitude of the nation," the steel magnate said.

COVID-19 is having significant repercussions for people in every continent, Mittal said. No country will be immune to it and for nations like India which have a vast population, the impact could be very serious, he added. Collaboration in times like these is critical, the industrialist asserted.

Governments, companies and citizens must, therefore, work together to pool their resources, to ensure every action is taken to combat the pandemic as swiftly as possible, he said. Mittal also said his companies are providing daily meals to over 5,000 people and food kits to more than 30,000.