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.

With the lockdown of restaurants and bars across the country 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 support of ₹1 crore which will be used to provide relief to thousands of staff of member restaurants and their families at this period of the lockdown, a statement from the company said.

Beam Suntory is also utilising The Blend, its global bartender engagement programme , to directly reach out and support the bartender community in India. The company has launched a ‘ learn and earn’ program to encourage bartenders to utilise their time at home effectively by taking up online training modules. Reading material and virtual engagement modules have been made available online, where bartenders can continue to be safe at home and enhance their knowledge and skills. To make the learning experience rewarding, The Blend will host online programmes every day, spread across 50 sessions, with prizes for the participants.

“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,” Neeraj Kumar, Managing Director, Beam Suntory India, said.

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