Outskill Genai
HomeNewsIndiaUsha International's Siddharth Shriram passes away at 76 due to COVID-19

Usha International's Siddharth Shriram passes away at 76 due to COVID-19

Shriram, who served as advisor to the board of Usha International after stepping down from executive role, was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon for treatment of COVID-19.

May 18, 2021 / 17:03 IST
Siddharth Shriram. | Representative image

Industrialist and former chairman of Usha International Siddharth Shriram passed away on Monday due to COVID-19, according to people close to the family. Shriram (76), who served as advisor to the board of Usha International after stepping down from executive role, was admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon for treatment of COVID-19.

A multi-faceted industrialist, Shriram served as the Chairman of Mawana Sugars Ltd besides being the Chairman of Usha International, known for its sewing machines and home appliances. He had led the Usha Internartional group in forming two joint ventures with Japan's Honda for passenger cars and power products.

COVID-19: Delhi records 4482 new cases, lowest since April 5, 265 deaths

However, in August 2012, Usha International exited from its then joint venture Honda Siels Cars India, by selling its entire 3.16 per cent stake to the Japanese partner for Rs 180 crore. Later, last year in April, Honda Motor Co and Usha International terminated their over two-decade old joint venture — Honda Siel Power Products, thus putting an end to their long relationship.

He was also the chairman of Delhi Policy Group, a think tank with a primary focus on international and strategic issues of critical national interest. Born on January 18, 1945, Shriram was schooled in Welhem School and the Doon School at Dehradun, graduated in English Literature from St. Stephens College, Delhi University. He was also a Sloan Fellow at MIT, USA.

COVID-19 Vaccine

Frequently Asked Questions

View more
How does a vaccine work?

A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine.

How many types of vaccines are there?

There are broadly four types of vaccine — one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine.

What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind?

Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time.

View more
Show

Shriram had also held administrative positions in various sporting and industry associations. In sports, he was know for his support to golf in particular.

PTI
first published: May 18, 2021 05:03 pm

Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!

Subscribe to Tech Newsletters

  • On Saturdays

    Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.

  • Daily-Weekdays

    Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.

Advisory Alert: It has come to our attention that certain individuals are representing themselves as affiliates of Moneycontrol and soliciting funds on the false promise of assured returns on their investments. We wish to reiterate that Moneycontrol does not solicit funds from investors and neither does it promise any assured returns. In case you are approached by anyone making such claims, please write to us at grievanceofficer@nw18.com or call on 02268882347