Airtel and Vahan collaborate to bring relief services amid Covid-19 lockdown

Bharti Airtel and Bengaluru-based startup Vahan are collaborating to connect blue-collar workers and migrants in Delhi and Bengaluru to relief centres and NGOs

Bharti Airtel and Bengaluru-based startup Vahan are collaborating to connect blue-collar workers and migrants in Delhi and Bengaluru to relief centres and NGOs (ANI)

Bharti Airtel and Bengaluru-based startup Vahan are collaborating to connect blue-collar workers and migrants in Delhi and Bengaluru affected by the Covid-19 lockdown to the nearest support centres and NGOs for food, healthcare and even jobs where possible.

Vahan, otherwise, is a portal that connects job seekers with prospective employers via messaging apps like WhatsApp.

Airtel is going to launch a massive SMS campaign to reach all such impacted workers across its network. The SMS, which will be sent in English, Hindi and Kannada, will carry a quick link that will guide users to Vahan's platform.

Once the receiver clicks on the link, Vahan will use its Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution through messaging apps (like Whatsapp) to connect the user to the nearest relief providers. Vahan has already created a resource pool of 1000+ help groups, NGOs who can be contacted for help.

Airtel has also extended the pre-paid pack validity for over millions of low-income customers on its network. All these customers were able get incoming calls on their Airtel mobile numbers even after the validity of their plan is exhausted.

Airtel had also credited an additional ₹10 of talk time in the pre-paid accounts of all these customers to enable them to make calls or send SMS and stay connected.