NEW DELHI, June 23: In a bid to encourage people to go for Covid vaccination and break the vaccine hesitancy, several Indian companies are offering discounts to their products to those who have received at least one vaccine dose. In turn, the offers also will be helping the companies to attract more customers.
To claim the discounts, people must show their vaccination certificates issued by the government.
Discounts on items ranging from fast food to flights are being offered by Indian firms keen to lure people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, as the economy re-opens gradually from weeks of lockdown.
While businesses in the West make similar offers to dispel vaccine hesitancy, India is badly short of doses for its population and the incentives could serve mainly to attract more customers. The government had earlier appealed to the media, particularly the electronic media, to work out campaigns for spreading vaccine awareness and break vaccine hesitancy among the people.
“We feel it is our responsibility to contribute to the national vaccination drive by encouraging more people,” Sanjay Kumar, a senior official of Interglobe Aviation which runs IndiGo airlines, said.
Vaccinated customers, even those who have received just one dose, would get a discount of up to 10%, the airline said on Wednesday.
The Indian arm of fast food giant McDonald’s is offering a 20% discount on meals, SoftBank-backed grocer Grofers a month’s subscription to its loyalty program, and home appliances maker Godrej extended product warranties.
State-run Central Bank of India Ltd is offering higher interest on deposits from recipients of at least one dose.
India’s 291 million administered doses are the most after China and the United States, but only about 5.5% of its estimated adult population of 950 million has received both doses necessary for full protection against the virus.
Vaccine flow is only expected to improve from August.
(Manas Dasgupta)