Walmart recently expanded Vriddhi, its online business advice program in India, with Vriddhi Cares, to provide telecare services and health guidance to employees and family members of its suppliers in a country hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Vriddhi Cares’ free telecare services will be provided by Walmart partner and local NGO Swasti, offering remote access to doctors, nurses and other health care workers via phone to employees of India's micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) and their families, Walmart said in a release. These professionals can provide daily check-ins to monitor symptoms and provide counseling and support, the company said. Vaccine guidelines, home quarantine procedures and caregiving information are also provided in the program, which is accessible in four languages — English, Hindi, Kannada and Tamil. The program will also offer COVID-19 pandemic-related business advice and resources.
“India’s MSMEs are working hard to prioritize the well-being of those they care about while also navigating the unprecedented business impacts of COVID-19,” Nidhi Munjal, Walmart's VP for International Partnership Services, said in the release. “Vriddhi Cares is designed to provide easy access to trusted health care and business advice so that MSMEs are equipped to help their families, workforce and communities get through this tough time.”
The current Walmart Vriddhi program was launched in December 2019. Through Walmart’s different programs, its goal of assisting MSMEs to expand their markets through Flipkart and Walmart channels continues, the company said in the release.
Walmart envisions empowering 50,000 MSMEs over five years through Vriddhi, the company said.