NEW DELHI: As India is battling the deadly second wave of Covid2019, smartphone manufacturers Vivo India and Apple have pledged to aid the country in Covid relief efforts. Vivo India has announced that they will donate Rs 2 crore and also help to acquire oxygen concentrators. 

Last year, Vivo India had donated masks, PPE kits, and 50,000 litres of sanitisers to India's Covid efforts. The company also expressed its gratitude to frontline healthcare workers who are fighting to curb the spread of the Covid pandemic. The smartphone maker has also urged people to follow strict Covid restrictions to combat the challenge posed by the virus sweeping through the country.

"In the fight against Covid2019, @Vivo_India stands united with the nation and pledges to donate Rs 2 crores to aid relief efforts and acquiring oxygen concentrators. Together, we can and will get through this," said Vivo India senior executive Nipun Marya. 

Apple has also extended support to India during this critical time. Apple CEO Tim Cook took to Twitter to announce that the company will provide help to its Apple family and everyone who is fighting the pandemic. 

"Amid a devastating rise of Covid cases in India, our thoughts are with the medical workers, our Apple family, and everyone there who is fighting through this awful stage of the pandemic. Apple will be donating to support and relief efforts on the ground," tweeted Cook. 

Yesterday, Xiaomi stepped up to donate 1,000 oxygen concentrators worth Rs 3 crore to tackle the Covid crisis in India.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has pledged that the company will "continue to use its voice, resources, and technology to aid relief efforts, and support the purchase of critical oxygen concentration devices." 

Google CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that the search engine giant will give Rs 135 crore for medical supplies, organisations supporting high-risk communities, and grants to help spread critical information. 

Over the last few weeks, India has been devastated by a record surge in Covid2019 cases. The country’s health infrastructure has been stretched to the breaking point, with shortages reported in medical oxygen cylinders, hospitals beds and critical drugs for Covid treatment. The number of reported cases declined slightly on Tuesday, to 323,144 from the peak of 352,991 the day before, bringing the total cases to nearly 17 million with 192,000 deaths.