DBS BANK INDIA COMMITS TO SERVE 2 MILLION MEALS TO SUPPORT COVID-19 RELIEF EFFORTS

Joins hands with The Akshaya Patra Foundation, United Way Mumbai, Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative, Goonj, and Ola Foundation to provide meals and essentials to marginalized communities

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Partners with United Way Mumbai, and others to provide test kits, ventilators, PPE and medical equipment

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Commits SGD 10.5 million globally through the “DBS Stronger Together Fund”

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Mumbai, 23 April 2020 – DBS Bank India has committed to provide 2 million meals to the underprivileged affected by the pandemic, in partnership with organisations such as The Akshaya Patra Foundation, United Way Mumbai, Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative, Goonj, and Ola Foundation.

To support the Government’s efforts in bolstering healthcare delivery,  DBS is partnering with United Way Mumbai, and others to provide ventilators, medical supplies and equipment, and sponsor free testing for the underprivileged.

As COVID-19 has impacted a large population of daily wage earners. DBS Bank India is also encouraging customers and employees to support these hard-hit sections of the society through a donation drive with The Akshaya Patra Foundation, and United Way Mumbai respectively. For every donation made, the bank is making a matching contribution of double the amount, thereby tripling the impact.

The initiatives are a part of ‘DBS Stronger Together’, a global initiative by the bank. DBS has committed SGD 10.5 million to help sections of the society that are hard hit by COVID-19 across the region. Through the 'DBS Stronger Together Fund', the bank will provide about 4.5 million meals and care packs to affected individuals across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan.

Surojit Shome, CEO and Managing Director, DBS Bank India said, “DBS has always been committed to making meaningful and valuable contributions to society. The pandemic has impacted lives and livelihoods, resulting in critical challenges. We have joined the nation’s fight against COVID-19 and are helping with meals, essential supplies, and testing  for those in need, as well as medical equipment and PPE for hospitals. We thank our customers and employees for standing in solidarity with us and contributing to these efforts. We will continue to extend support to underserved communities and healthcare workers during these unprecedented times.”

The Akshaya Patra Foundation’s Chief Marketing Officer, Mr. Sundeep Talwar said “Recognising the current hardships, Akshaya Patra temporarily repurposed its kitchen infrastructure from serving mid-day meals to school kids to prepare and distribute cooked meals and dry grocery boxes to local community groups, supporting migrant labour and daily wage earners whose livelihood was disrupted by the COVID-19 driven national lockdown. We are extremely grateful to DBS and their customers for their generous contribution.”

Jayanti Shukla, CEO, United Way Mumbai, said, “In the fight against COVID-19, we have witnessed the collective power of the community to protect our healthcare workers, support underprivileged families and build community resilience. We thank DBS and its dedicated team for partnering with us. The initiative will help us achieve a greater impact as the bank pledges to double every donation."

About DBS 

Headquartered and listed in Singapore, DBS Group is a leading financial services group in Asia with presence in 18 countries. DBS Group’s “AA-” and “Aa1” credit ratings are among the highest in the world. DBS Bank has been present in India for 25 years, having opened its first office in Mumbai in 1994. 

DBS Bank India Limited is first among the large foreign banks in India to start operating as a wholly owned, locally incorporated subsidiary of a leading global bank. DBS provides the entire range of banking services for large, medium and small enterprises and to individual consumers in India. In 2016, DBS had launched India’s first, mobile-only bank – digibank, which now has over 2.6 million customers. Currently present across 24 cities, the Bank has been expanding its presence across India since converting to a wholly owned subsidiary. The Bank intends to further expand its presence within the existing cities as well as new locations with over 100 customer touchpoints.

Recognised for its global leadership, DBS has been named “World’s Best Bank” by Euromoney, “Global Bank of the Year” by The Banker and “Best Bank in the World” by Global Finance. The bank is at the forefront of leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking, having been named “World’s Best Digital Bank” by Euromoney. In addition, DBS has been accorded the “Safest Bank in Asia” award by Global Finance for eleven consecutive years from 2009 to 2019.

DBS is committed to building lasting relationships with customers, and positively impacting communities through supporting social enterprises, as it connects customers and markets across Asia. DBS Group’s Foundation works closely with social enterprises across all its key markets in Asia.