Amazon India is working with Hyderabad-based Greenko Group, one of India’s largest renewable energy companies, and other suppliers on its online marketplace, to import 9,000 oxygen concentrators to India as the country faces massive shortage of medical oxygen amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Amazon has already procured 1,000 oxygen concentrators, with the rest expected to arrive in India in the coming days. These oxygen concentrators are now available for purchase by both consumers and business houses.
As there has been a 70X increase in search volume for oxygen concentrators, Amazon India decided to collaborate with its sellers to
ramp up inventory of critical medical equipment including these concentrators, said a statement from Amazon India.
Previously, Amazon had announced
bringing in over 10,000 oxygen concentrators and BiPAP machines to India in collaboration with multiple partners, according to YourStory.
The sellers on Amazon’s online marketplace will be
offering oxygen concentrators along with other genuine products like oximeters, thermometers, masks, gloves, sanitisers, and disinfectants for customers.
Greenko’s official statement also confirmed the news and further mentioned that it will be helpful for the medical teams in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities for pre-ICU support and post-ICU stabilisation of patients.
Earlier, the US-based multinational company, which has a strong presence in India, had announced that it would import and donate 100 ventilator units.
The e-commerce major earlier this month had waived 50 percent of the 'sell-on-amazon' or 'referral fee' from May 1-31 for a section of its sellers. Further, it had said it would reimburse storage fees and long-term storage fees that are normally charged for storing sellers' products at their warehouses for merchants based in non-serviceable pin codes.
Amazon has a majority of its sellers under the small and medium businesses (SMBs) category.
