Mahindra's Oxygen on Wheels rolls out in Maharashtra, over 100 vehicles deployed

Mahindra and Mahindra has rolled out its Oxygen on Wheels (O2W), a free service to help deliver oxygen cylinders to various hospitals and medical centres in Maharashtra, from today. The initiative, first announced by Mahindra Group's chairman Anand Mahindra over the weekend, will cater to as many as seven cities in the state for now.

Mahindra said it has converted more than a hundred Bolero pickup trucks to address the last mile delivery issues with oxygen cylinders. The service will benefit cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chakan, Nasik and Nagpur in the initial phase.

Mahindra issued a statement today saying that Mahindra Logistics is eager to extend this service to other parts of the country too. The company is in discussions with governments and civic bodies in other cities, like Delhi, where acute shortage of oxygen has led to crisis. The company is also considering delivery of oxygen cylinders directly to residences of Covid-19 patients in need.

Anish Shah, Managing Director and CEO at Mahindra Group, said, "We are committed to deploying our resources and capabilities innovatively to address the challenge on hand. Oxygen on Wheels meets an urgent need by partnering with local authorities to help save precious lives and reduce the pressure on our healthcare services."

Earlier this month, Mahindra Group's chairman shared details of the initiative on social media. He had shared images of around 70 Bolero pickup trucks to deliver oxygen cylinders. He said, "Today, Oxygen is the key to reducing mortality. The problem is not of oxygen production but its transportation from producing plants to hospitals and homes. We're attempting to bridge this gap with "Oxygen on Wheels" a project implemented via Mahindra Logistics." So far, Mahindra has helped to deliver 61 jumbo cylinders to 13 hospitals in urgent need.

India is currently facing one of the worst phases of the pandemic as the second wave has sent cases soaring across the country. Each day, the country is recording more than 3 lakh new cases. India's total active caseload has reached 34,47,133 as on Monday. As many as 3,449 people have also lost their lives in a span of 24 hours yesterday.