"In the times of this crisis, I want all of you to SEE – Support, Empathise and Empower." - Kamal Bali, Volvo Group India

"My Dear Friends & Families,

As I write to you, I trust and sincerely hope that you and all your dear ones are doing fine in these unprecedented and challenging times. In a way, even as the circumstances have pushed us to move distant temporarily, one actually feels closer with colleagues & friends who we have been associated with us in some way or the other.

As the menace of coronavirus carries on in different geographies across the world and in our own country, our top priority must be safety, and that of your families and loved ones, by proactively taking all mitigation measures. I am sure all of you and your dear ones are diligently following the new regime of ‘social distancing' and all the other safety measures given. These are tough times, and we are all required to adapt to newer ways of doing things, both personally and professionally, including working remotely. The onslaught of COVID-19 has many potential fall outs, requiring our responses on several dimensions, some of which could be quite stressful, especially in the short run.

We at Volvo Group India, have taken utmost precautions and measures, in order to successfully combat and defeat the threat of coronavirus. We all realise that the next few weeks are critical in this journey. And together, we can do it.

In a way, the last few days have been a wake-up call for humanity. As Global citizens, we have witnessed major global crises - including the World Wars, the Great Depression, Global financial crisis, Tsunami and now the COVID-19 pandemic.

I want you to remember that humanity shines in the toughest moments. In the times of this crisis, I want all of you to SEE - Support, Empathise and Empower. Please continue to have a steady stream of communication amongst yourselves - we all have a chance to get ‘closer' in these circumstances.  Clearly, there are two directions that we can take - either to victimize ourselves with helplessness or to self-actualise and engage. If we keep ourselves motivated, we know our species is amazingly resilient. 

I would like you to know that we are all in it together, and when we do the right things, we will come out better off than before. We need to be prepared for a marathon post this pandemic.

In the meanwhile, we will also need to re-adjust ourselves to the new world order wherein we write the rules of the game from our secluded home desks. We need to reset habits, emotions, relationships and rebuild from this very point. We are fortunate to have technology to keep us together. But we all now have a responsibility to do something temporarily that defies our human nature - to distance ourselves socially. Even as we have physically distanced ourselves, I urge you to remain connected - not only for work, but also as friends and colleagues who are a support for each other.

I wish you and your family good health. Stay positive, productive, connected and safe!"

Kamal Bali

President & MD

Volvo Group India