He added that Tata group companies have largely enabled a ‘work from home’ (WFH) environment.

Tata group of companies will be paying full salaries to their temporary workers and daily wage earners for the months of March and April 2020 even if the workers are unable to work due to either quarantine measures, site closures, plant shutdowns or other reasons due the outbreak of Covid-19.

Calling the outbreak a major global crisis, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said in a statement on Friday, “The current situation is likely to have a large and deep financial impact on the weaker socioeconomic segments of our society”.

He said that the group companies have committed to ensure full payments to the temporary workers during this time of crisis. He also said that the other segment of focus is the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) and the group companies will closely monitor to ensure that dues to these enterprises are paid on an immediate basis in order to provide liquidity.

“Each day matters in our fight against this disease. With resolve, we can collectively overcome this crisis in a manner that is vigilant, careful and compassionate towards the needs of our fellow citizens,” Chandra said.

He added that Tata group companies have largely enabled a ‘work from home’ (WFH) environment. “We have asked our companies in India to rapidly and extensively adopt WFH to ensure that employees travel only in the most essential cases, excluding situations in which they are involved in the delivery of products and services for the larger public good”.

He also said that the government is taking many proactive steps and precautionary measures to contain this threat in India. “These are tough and uncertain times, and the nation needs our collective efforts. As our Hon’ble Prime Minister mentioned on Thursday, resolution and restraint are important to combat this pandemic,” he said.