COVID-19 vaccination freebies in India — from free beer and food to gold nose pins and hand blenders

Prabhjote GillApr 6, 2021, 18:26 IST

Small and medium businesses in India are giving out freebies to encourage more people to get the COVID-19 vaccineBCCL

As the Indian economy is still struggling to get back on its feet, a number of businesses are threatened by what the second wave of COVID-19 could mean.
Fearing another lockdown, many medium and small businesses in India are offering up freebies to customers who show up with a vaccination card.
This includes restaurants and hotels in New Delhi, Pune’s most popular snack maker, the goldsmith community in Gujarat, as well as car dealership and sttionery stores.

The vaccination drive in India, so far, has been unable to rein in the second wave of COVID-19. And this has businesses worried.

Corporates — like Capgemini, Infosys, Accenture, Volvo, Reliance, IndiGo and upGrad — have already announced that they will absorb the vaccination costs for their employees in India. However, they aren’t offering up any freebies as a job well done.

Meanwhile, smaller businesses, like the Chitale group in Maharashtra and the Soni community in Gujarat, are doling out gifts to encourage more people to get vaccinated. A restaurant in Gurgaon is even giving out free beer if you show up with your vaccination card.

The owners of these establishments are hoping that their offers and discounts will encourage other businesses to ramp up freebies as well to boost the rate at which people are being vaccinated in India.

The sooner the threat of COVID-19 is mitigated, the sooner these guys can go back to ‘business as usual’.

From free gold nose pins to packets of bhakarwadi to discounts on stationery and car servicing — here are some of the freebies that medium and small businesses are offering to those who get vaccinated against COVID-19 in India:

An Indian confectioner is doling out snacks for those who get vaccine shots

Chitale Bandhu snacks shop in PuneBCCL

Bhakarwadi is a popular snack from western India. And, if you live in Pune, the most well known bhakarwadi maker is the Chitale group.

The Mahrashtrian snack producer has joined hands with the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) to dole out free bhakarwadi to those who can prove they have gotten vaccinated.

Each person is eligible to pick up a 50 gram pack of bhakarwadi after each shot, according to the Hindustan Times. That means everyone who has been vaccinated can pick up two pack

Bhakarwadi is a popular snack from western India. And, if you live in Pune, the most well known bhakarwadi maker is the Chitale group.

Each person is eligible to pick up a 50 gram pack of bhakarwadi after each shot, according to the Hindustan Times. That means everyone who has been vaccinated can pick up two pack

In Gujarat, locals are getting a gold nose pin and hand blenders at a vaccine camp

Ariel shot of the city of Rajkot in GujaratWikimedia

The goldsmith community in Gujarat came together to incentivise the citizens of Rajkot to get vaccinated. The Soni community teamed up with the Rajkot Municipal Corporation to organise vaccine camps across the city on April 2 and April 3 as per Jagran Josh.

Women who got vaccinated at these camps — located at Kishor Singhji Primary School, Kothariya Naka and Soni Market — were the recipients of gold nose pins and the men were given hand blenders.

Rajkot residents are also getting free food in exchange after getting the COVID-19 vaccine jab

Representative image of eligible citizen getting the COVID-19 vaccine in GujaratBCCL

Jaan Vision, an organisation in Rajkot district of Gujarat, is providing free food to those who get vaccinated. "We're providing breakfast, lunch, dinner so people don't stress about having to work after going home. They can relax here," an organiser told ANI.

Jaan Vision, an organisation in Rajkot district of Gujarat, is providing free food to those who get vaccinated. We're providing breakfast, lunch, dinner so people don't stress about having to work after going home. They can relax here, an organiser told ANI.

Mehsana car workshop is making car serving cheaper for people who get vaccinated

Cars on a highway near Gujarat's Mehsana cityBCCL

In another city of Gujarat, Mehsana, a car workshop is forgoing labour charges on car serving and offering a 10% discount on car accessories to vaccinated individuals.

All you have to do is show your vaccination certificate.

In another city of Gujarat, Mehsana, a car workshop is forgoing labour charges on car serving and offering a 10% discount on car accessories to vaccinated individuals.

All you have to do is show your vaccination certificate.

A stationery store vendor in Vadodara is offering 10% discount as an incentive for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine

Representative image of stationery shopUnsplash

Kamlesh Shah, who owns a stationery shop next to Rhino Circle in Gujarat’s Vadodara, is offering customers a 10% discount to help boost the rate of vaccination in the city. All they have to do is show up with their vaccination certificate.

“The vaccination drive began some months ago but many people are still not taking the vaccine. COVID-19 cases have been on the rise so people need to take the vaccine as early as possible,” he told the Times of India.

A restaurant in Gurgaon is offering free beer to anyone who can show their vaccine card

Outdoor seating at the Indian Grill room in GurgaonIndian Grill Room Facebook page

Indian Grill Room, a fine dining restaurant on Gurgaon’s Gold Road, is offering free beer to anyone who comes with their vaccine card. However, ‘terms and conditions’ do apply. When Business Insider tried to call the restaurant for more details, the call was repeatedly disconnected.

Restaurants and hotels in Delhi are also giving special discounts

Connaught Place shopping area in New DelhiBCCL

In East Delhi, restaurant owner Mustakim Ahmed is giving a 30% discount on biryani and 25% discount on chicken dishes to customers who can verify that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Central Delhi’s Connaught Place, restaurants are doling out free food, sweets and ice cream to those who have been vaccinated.

Restaurants and hotels in Old Delhi too are giving out special discounts of 20% to 30% to those carrying a vaccine card.

If you don’t have your vaccine card, some vendors are prepared to take a valid mobile phone message confirming the vaccination as proof, too, according to Jagran Josh.

In East Delhi, restaurant owner Mustakim Ahmed is giving a 30% discount on biryani and 25% discount on chicken dishes to customers who can verify that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

In Central Delhi’s Connaught Place, restaurants are doling out free food, sweets and ice cream to those who have been vaccinated.

Restaurants and hotels in Old Delhi too are giving out special discounts of 20% to 30% to those carrying a vaccine card.

If you don’t have your vaccine card, some vendors are prepared to take a valid mobile phone message confirming the vaccination as proof, too, according to Jagran Josh.

Delhi’s municipal corporations are offering additional rebate for early filing of property tax if all eligible family members are vaccinated

Major of North Delhi, Jai PrakashBCCL

The mayor of North Delhi, Jai Prakash, announced a tax incentive for residents to get vaccinated.

The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) already offers a 15% tax rebate on filing property tax returns before June. However, if all eligible members of a household are vaccinated, they will get an additional rebate of 5% for filing their property tax on time — culminating in a rebate of 20%.

According to the Navbharat Times, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) is also considering a similar measure to help encourage more of its citizens to get vaccinated — and help help increase the tax net.

The mayor of North Delhi, Jai Prakash, announced a tax incentive for residents to get vaccinated.

Uber is offering free rides to and from COVID- 19 vaccination centres in India

Parked Uber taxis in MumbaiBCCL

The cab-hailing company was one of the first on the scene to boost vaccination rates. It announced a ₹10 crore programme on March 8 offering free rides — of upto ₹150 — to and from vaccination centres across 35 Indian cities.

Uber will enable a code to be used by anybody who opens the app and is either booking a ride for themselves or for somebody in their family who needs to go to the vaccination centre.

"The moment you enter a destination or pickup location which is either of these vaccination centres, and you apply the code, the ride discount will get applied which will allow you to avail the offer," said Prabhjeet Singh, president of Uber India and South Asia.