Somehow, the world Capitalism has come to be associated with negative connotations. Surprising though because it is the capitalistic economy only which has led to so much progress in the world.

While at Buzz on Earth, we keep talking about how such mindless development has led to environmental damage, yet in this blog, we will take a different tone. In no way will we be appreciating the “mindless development” but given the grave situation which this Corona pandemic has put us all into, we will appreciate the ones who deserve it!

After all, sustainability is about growing together and if someone makes some effort in this regard, no matter who that person is, appreciation should be given!

Why this Unconventional Blog though?

Well, there is no change of heart really and hence nothing about this blog is unconventional. With the governments around the world facing trouble in combating the Coronavirus and trying hard to up their amp in providing adequate medical facilities, Mahindra and Mahindra’s contribution came as a god sent.

In India specifically, our industrialists have been always sensitive towards the needs of the masses in general whenever it came to support them at a country level. The recent 1500 crore worth of donation by the Tata Group stands testimony to that. And not just them, be it the Ambanis, Bajajs, Munjals or any other affluent business family in the country, everyone has donated wholeheartedly to the cause of helping the underprivileged.

The Mahindras, however, stepped up in technological terms. Mr Anand Mahindra recently announced on his twitter handle about their indigenously developed Ambu bag- a make-shift ventilator for the Coronavirus patients. What sets this invention apart is that it costs just Ra 7500 while an average ventilator costs around 5 to 10 lacs.

What is an Ambu Bag?

An Ambu Bag is a self-inflating artificial manual-breathing unit that is typically used for patients having breathing troubles.

The engineering teams of Mahindra & Mahindra, based at the automaker’s Kandivali (Mumbai) and Igatpuri (Nashik) manufacturing plants developed the prototype within 48 hours. The Ambu bag developed in-house is indeed a game-changer, Mr Mahindra had tweeted citing how its price would be about Rs 7500 only. He further added that the team is simultaneously working with an indigenous maker of ICU ventilators to improve upon and develop more such units. The Ambu bag meanwhile can be used as an interim lifesaver.

On 22 March, Mr Mahindra offered the government and concerned medical authorities help in scaling up production of ventilators, essential for critical patients infected with the coronavirus. The company hopes to have the prototype ready within three days for approval, Pawan Goenka, managing director, M&M, had said.

Here is a video to show how it works.

The Parting Note!

It is usually assumed that industries and the industrialists are the villains when it comes to protecting the national or environmental interests. However, in times of need like this, at least in India, we have seen the spirit of Indianness come alive. At Buzz on Earth, we salute this spirit of working for the benefit of all, not just today but for the future too!

What else is Sustainability about you tell!