India Inc steps up surveillance, testing amid surging cases

As the country’s daily Covid-19 case count continues to surge exponentially, corporate India is leaving no stone unturned to ramp up safety measures and identify and isolate positive cases at the earliest to maintain employee safety and business continuity.

Despite the majority being double-vaccinated, sectors like pharma, manufacturing, banking, ecommerce and real estate, which still have a sizeable chunk of essential employees coming into office, on shop floors or client sites, companies are stepping up testing, surveillance and covid protocols, sponsoring tests for families where a person shows symptoms and carrying out contact tracing for positive cases.

Companies such as Lupin, Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals, Panasonic, CEAT, JLL India, Licious, Pfizer, Fortis and Axis Bank are among those following such measures.


Besides curtailing outstation travel, many companies have forbidden employees from using public transportation and are providing their own sanitised vehicles instead. Some are insisting on employees coming back from leave with negative RT-PCR reports.

“While the cases are generally milder than those in the second wave, we are ensuring the situation is treated with the same seriousness and stringency,” says Yashwant Mahadik, global HR president at Lupin. The drugmaker has significantly ramped up testing, discouraged employees from taking public transport and has stringent contact tracing mechanisms in place.

Besides ensuring double vaccination for employees and families, Pfizer has rolled out pneumococcal and flu vaccination programs to address risks of pneumonia and respiratory infections due to other bacterial and viral infections. Amongst other measures, there is a 24*7 covid task force on call, said Shilpi Singh, director, people experience.

Crompton Greaves Consumer Electricals has implemented an AI-enabled contract tracing app that every employee - corporate or contract - is required to download on their phones. “If anyone shows symptoms, they are immediately tested at the company's expense, and all employees they have come in contact with are also isolated and placed on paid leave until they receive negative reports,” said Satyajit Mohanty - vice-president – HR.

At JLL India, there has been a focus to encourage remote working for employees wherever the role permits and have adequate safety measures where remote working is difficult. “We recommend that RT-PCR self-testing be done as per the doctor’s recommendation. Some client sites require the tests to be carried out on a weekly/fortnightly basis,” said Meenakshi Cornelius, head-HR, India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

Most companies, including JLL, have tie-ups with multiple organisations that provide 24/7 medical consultation service. Telemedicine services are available free of cost to employees and their families, who also have access to emergency services like ambulance support and hospital bed services.
Detailed protocols have been put in place and companies have covid command centres or covid marshals to ensure these are adhered to.

Diagnostics player Healthians has appointed marshals at the workplace who are ensuring that everyone adheres to the COVID guidelines diligently. Necessary advisory on travel has also been issued that if someone travels to or from any outside location, it's mandatory to disclose to HR, get tested for Covid and submit a negative report before joining the office, said CEO Deepak Sahni.

At fish and meat startup-turned-unicorn Licious, meat technicians, handlers, packaging experts and delivery partners are going through regular testing and constant monitoring for symptoms. “We have pro-actively created bio bubbles at our processing centres to ensure the safety of our people,” said head-HR Naveen Kr. Nerlaje.

Tyre maker CEAT has a medical officer as well as a chief fitness officer at factories, and has made transport arrangements for all employees, said CHRO Milind Apte. Panasonic has a medical office at the factory and headquarters to do regular check-ups and run tests.

Fortis Hospitals Bangalore has made RT-PCR mandatory for all staff travelling from high risk prone states and is starting booster shots from January 10.