S. N. SUBRAHMANYAN
CEO & MD, Larsen & Toubro
Dear Colleagues,
We are presently facing some of the toughest and most testing times in our living memory. The extent of disruption that the pandemic has caused is unprecedent and the entire country is trying to come to grips with the situation. COVID-19 has left its mark on us at L&T too. Sadly, we have had to face the harsh reality of losing some of dear colleagues despite some of our best efforts to save them. Some of us have lost some of our near and dear ones to this virus. We remember our colleagues who have left us, their wonderful contribution to the organization, their bereaved families, who we hope and pray, will find the strength and courage to bear their loss and eventually move forward in life.
Standing by the nation
As an organization, we remain committed to stand with the country during these turbulent times and contribute to the huge national effort to overcome the adverse impact of the pandemic because nothing is more precious than human lives. Reacting to the dire shortage of oxygen and oxygen generators, we have stepped in to create a long-term solution by globally sourcing generators & parts to assemble them in our manufacturing facility at Hazira to meet the requirements of several hospitals across India. Each unit is equipped with a compressor, dryer, oxygen generator and two storage tanks capable of catering to hospitals or medical facilities with over 1,750 beds for the next 10-15 years. These are fully functioning, plug-and-play models that will absorb air from the atmosphere, convert it into medical-grade oxygen and pump it into the pre-existing pipes for a steady & uninterrupted supply of this life saving source.
We have sourced, procured, and supplied ventilators to numerous hospitals apart from helping to convert several healthcare facilities that we have constructed and others into full-fledged COVID care centres, quarantine zones and COVID testing laboratories.
“As an organization, we remain committed to stand with the country during these turbulent times and contribute to the huge national effort to overcome the adverse impact of the pandemic because nothing is more precious than human lives.”
Standing by our people
Our specially formed COVID task forces involving the entire senior leadership of L&T have the responsibility to reach out and help our colleagues and their families who are in need. We have converted several of our establishments like the Corporate Technology and Engineering Academy (CTA) in Madh, Mumbai, our CSTIs in Ahmedabad, Cuttack, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Panvel, the ECC Apartments in Chennai, hostels, guest & transit houses and even bachelor accommodations at project sites into well-equipped quarantine facilities. Efforts are underway to convert more of our facilities. We have tied up with 100+ hospitals across the country to make quality medical help and treatment readily available to all of you.
Our various HR, IR and Administration teams and many of you in your individual capacities, have been going out of their way to help many of you and your families and our close to 200,000 workmen to get hospital beds, essentials like ventilators, oxygen, medicines like Remidsaver and quarantine facilities in close coordination with the National, State Governments and local authorities.
“OUR SPECIALLY FORMED COVID TASK FORCES INVOLVING THE ENTIRE SENIOR LEADERSHIP OF L&T HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO REACH OUT AND HELP OUR COLLEAGUES AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO ARE IN NEED.”
Led by our Chief Medical Officer, Dr Divyang Shah, we have a helpline for you to reach out for medical consultancy or counselling while our iCALL facility, in association with TISS, is a telephonic counselling helpline handled by trained professionals to help you navigate these tough times and a source for authentic and verified information too.
We have all realized that vaccination is perhaps the only way to either prevent the infection or at least reduce its severity. The fact that 70% of our employees in the age group of 45+ and 10% employees in the sub-45 years group have taken the first dose of vaccination and another 20% have taken the second jab is indeed good news but it is our endeavour to see that every employee gets at least the first dose at the earliest.
At the same time, the management is aware of the wonderful effort of our colleagues at project sites to keep the workmen safe, healthy, and engaged so that they do not leave the sites. Remobilization will be an extremely uphill struggle if it comes to it and it is wonderful that we have been able to retain about 70% of our workforce. All your efforts have been augmented with regular and sustained communication in the form of films, Doctor’s advisories, SMS & WhatsApp messages, posters, and the like. We do hope that all these will translate into our workmen wanting to stay back with us and help push progress.
“THE WONDERFULLY STIRRING AND POSITIVE STORIES OF RECOVERY FROM THE PANDEMIC OF SEVERAL OF OUR COLLEAGUES IN THE ‘COVID VICTOR’ SERIES SHOULD STRENGTHEN US THAT THERE IS MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO, THAT LIKE ALL OTHER PROBLEMS WE HAVE FACED IN THE PAST, WE WILL OVERCOME THIS PANDEMIC TOO.”
Standing strong and positive
It is very easy for us to get despondent and low seeing all that is happening around us, but this is when we must stay strong and positive. The wonderfully stirring and positive stories of recovery from the pandemic of several of our colleagues in the ‘COVID Victor’ series should strengthen us that there is much to look forward to, that like all other problems we have faced in the past, we will overcome this pandemic too. We must keep believing that this is just a passing phase however difficult and trying it may be. As they say, tough times do not last, tough people do. We are confident that like true L&T-ites we will together overcome this challenge too.
Stay strong. Stay focused. Stay heathy & safe. All the best!
A HISTORIC SIGNING FOR INDIA’S LARGEST EPC MANDATE TILL DATE
November 26th 2020 was a red letter day both for the Indian infrastructure sector and for us as the contract for the largest EPC order awarded in the country till date was signed between L&T and the National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited. As our CEO & Managing Director, Mr S N Subrahmanyan described, “this order reflects an inflection point in the revival of India’s infrastructure sector and the first sure shot indication that our economy is up and running.” For L&T, it represents a great opportunity to make up for lost ground due to the pandemic and reaffirm our status as India’s foremost construction organization.
The mandate is for the design and construction of 237 km of viaduct between Vapi and Vadodara in Gujarat, four stations, a depot at Surat, 14 river, 6 railway & 42 road crossings and a 350 M long mountain tunnel.
“This project will give a huge thrust to economic and social development,” declared Whole Time Director & Senior Executive Vice
President (Civil Infrastructure), S V Desai, for whom and his team, the mandate is not only a huge win but an even bigger responsibility. “The project will generate employment for professionals like engineers, technicians, designers, architects and create livelihoods for skilled and semi-skilled workforce and construction workers. It will boost demand for construction material and machinery and even ancillary industries like hospitality, entertainment, health, tourism, real estate & housing and education will flourish during the construction phase,” he elaborated.