HCL Tech to expand its vaccination drive for all its staff and vendors across India

India's COVID-19 vaccination drive was expanded on March 1 to include senior citizens, and those aged 45-59 who have co-mobordities. (Image: AP)

HCL Technologies will bear the vaccination cost for all its employees, families and also vendors and is in the process of expanding the drive across the country.

The company, which started the inoculation programme on March 24, is in the process of getting approvals from various state governments to get vaccination provision in a week’s time across its campuses in India.

“We are also in advanced stage of discussion with various hospital chains that can provide vaccination wherever our employees would like to go for proximity. We are working with them in ensuring that they can get their vaccination there as well,” VV Apparao, Chief Human Resources Officer, said during the earnings call on April 23.

The company employs about 1.68 lakh people.

Its peers too are stepping up their vaccination drive. Bengaluru-based IT major Wipro said that it will soon organise vaccination camps for employees at its Electronic City campus in Bengaluru and will expand it to other parts of India. The firm, that employs 1.9 lakh employees, will also facilitate complimentary pre- and post-vaccination support as well as vaccination reimbursement for its employees and their spouses, the company said.

Its cross-town rival Infosys has tied up with 130 hospitals and is in discussion with healthcare providers and vaccine suppliers to vaccinate its employees. “We will work with our partners to accelerate our vaccination programme to cover our employee population as early as possible. We are in discussion with healthcare providers as well as vaccine suppliers to help us in this endeavor," Richard Lobo, Executive Vice President, Head HR, Infosys, told Moneycontrol in a statement.

He further said the company has established vaccination centres for its employees and their families at some of their campuses across India.

Moneycontrol has also reached out to TCS on how they plan to roll out vaccination drive for all its employees. The four companies together employ over 11 lakh people.

Many of them had announced that they will bear the cost of vaccination for employees and their families. IT firms are looking to scale up their vaccination efforts with the government opening up vaccination for everyone over 18 years of age, starting May 1, 2021.