Beam Suntory India is partnering with the National Restaurant Association of India
Beam Suntory, a world leader in premium spirits, has come forward to support the food and beverage community in India at this time of social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid-19. This initiative represents the spirit of Beam Suntory’s corporate social responsibility efforts, whose mission of ‘Growing for Good’ includes sustainability and supporting local communities.
With the lockdown of restaurants and bars across India to maintain social distancing, several thousand members of the hospitality community have been affected financially. Beam Suntory India is partnering with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI), the largest restaurant body in the country, to pledge a support of ~150,000 USD which will be used to provide relief to thousands of staff of member restaurants and their families at this period of the lockdown.
Beam Suntory is also utilizing The Blend, its global bartender engagement program, to directly reach out and support the bartender community in India. The company has launched a ‘learn and earn’ program to encourage bartenders to utilize their time at home effectively by taking up online training modules.
Talking about the initiative, Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director, Beam Suntory India, said, “The global pandemic has threatened the survival of many businesses, especially the F&B industry, at a time when it was emerging strongly in India. Although we are confident that the industry will rebuild and continue to thrive after this crisis, the current economic anxiety is spilling over to thousands of dedicated professionals who have passionately supported the industry with their talent. Through these initiatives, we want to give back to our partners in the F&B community. They are our greatest champions and we want to support them in these difficult times. These initiatives are central to our business and fundamental to our ‘Growing for Good’ values.”