Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, HBS alumni across the globe have been stepping up to respond to the crisis in numerous ways. Some led the way in the development of vaccines, others retooled their manufacturing to fill the gaps in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE). Many stepped in to fight hunger, provide support for health professionals and frontline workers, deploy technology in new ways that helped communities thrive, and make learning and working at home possible.

HBS alumni raised millions for pandemic relief, used their networks and resources to support small businesses, and created entirely new enterprises to respond to a post-COVID world.

In India, where the pandemic has hit particularly hard, HBS alumni are confronting the problem head-on. “Our alumni are vaccinating large numbers of people, providing meals to the impoverished, and giving groceries, clothes and school materials to those who have lost their jobs,” says Anjali Raina (AMP 174), executive director of the HBS India Research Center, based in Mumbai. “They are setting up COVID-19 hospitals, setting up canteens to provide nutritious meals, building out testing services, and providing logistical support to move oxygen concentrators. And they’re donating PPE, medicine, and oxygen. It’s phenomenal to see our HBS community coming forward to extend support in these ways.”

Raina and Sunil Sood (AMP184), president of the HBS Club of India, have been collecting the stories of alumni responding to India’s COVID crisis to share with the HBS community. They are available here.

“These are stories of resilience that have stood out, because these people have met the need of the hour,” says Sood.

In addition to these efforts, the HBS Club of India has provided funding for a research study by the Foundation of Medical Research (FMR) in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), comparing the nature of COVID 19 infection in the first and second waves experienced in Mumbai, with the second wave associated with the initiation of vaccination and the emergence of variants. The study has been selected for poster presentation at the 52nd Union World Conference on Lung Health.

“We are grateful to all who have donated the funds, which enabled FMR to include 75 patients in the study,” Sood says.

In all of these efforts, Raina says, everyone went “above and beyond” to help in a time of crisis. “Their impact—improving health, and supporting communities—has been extensive across India.”

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