Anita Dongre announces Rs 1.5 crore medical fund for small vendors, artisans

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Mar 23, 2020

Designer and entrepreneur Anita Dongre has created a Rs 1.5 crore ($203,000) fund to cover medical fees for small vendors and self-employed artisans, which she asserts are some of the most economically vulnerable amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

 
On March 22, Dongre took to social media to share what she is doing to help combat Covid-19. The brand had already elected to shut its Indian and U.S. flagship stores, in a bid to counter the pandemic last week. 
 
“A lot has changed in the last few days,” Dongre wrote on Instagram.
“Among the people who are likely to be most affected by these changes are the small vendors and self-employed artisans who contribute to the work you love and admire. Considering the swiftness of the crisis, we recognise that not many of them will have resources available to cover a potential medical emergency. It is for this reason that the Anita Dongre Foundation has decided to set up a dedicated fund of INR 15 million, to support any medical treatments arising during these troubling times.”

The announcement was met with many declarations of respect by fans of the brand in the comments. Dongre clarified that the fund will cover those that the brand works with that do not have insurance or medical coverage and that the brand’s direct employees all already have medical insurance in place to cover them and their families if necessary. 
 
“We are in this together, and we will come out on the other side stronger. We shall overcome,” wrote Dongre.
 
Anita Dongre runs her eponymous brand, as well as a number of fashion and jewellery subsidiaries. The brad has a number of stores across India and two in New York, U.S.

Dongre is known for working with weaving clusters across India to produce ethical designs and has been vocal about the need to support traditional Indian artisan crafts.