Digital money transfers connecting loved ones during lockdown

Indians are enduring mental, physical and financial stress under the coronavirus lockdown, particularly those separated from family members across the world. For the Indian community in Australia, supporting their families in this challenging time is a high priority.

Mrugen Kemkar lives in Melbourne and works as a Senior Business Analyst at NAB. His mother lives in Mumbai by herself and he is doing all he can to support her whilst she can’t leave their home due to the government restrictions:

“It’s a tough time in Australia but it’s even tougher back home for my mum,” says Mrugen.

“I’m so grateful for technology like Facetime and Whatsapp so I can talk to her every day and keep her spirits up.”

For Mrugen, being able to still get money through to his mother provides him peace of mind: “In addition to emotional support it is crucial for me to also provide financial support.  My mum can’t get out on the streets to stores cash pick up locations so I’m grateful for digital money transfer platforms, like WorldRemit. She received money in her bank account on the same day, even during this crisis, which is fantastic.”

WorldRemit, works with multiple partners in India to enable a variety of options to Indian receivers of money transfers including direct-to-bank and airtime top-ups and also ensuring a speedy transaction in which money sent arrives on the same day.

WorldRemit’s Austalian spokesperson Scott Eddington is thrilled the company can play an important role in the crisis:

“We know that for the Indian community, families are really at the heart of every money transfer. It’s a source of immense pride for us that we can support our Indian customers and their families at this time by continuing to provide cost effective, simple and convenient money transfer services,”

“A lot of feedback we receive is that, in tough tough times more than ever, every dollar counts. Helping our customers get more money home to their loved ones is at

the core of our mission, and that’s why we are proud to be on average to be 25% cheaper* than Ria, Western Union and MoneyGram,”

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the lockdown and hope our customers and Indian communities all over the world stay safe and well.” Eddington said.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has published guidelines to help all communities stay safe from Coronavirus (COVID-19):

• Wash your hands with soap and water often, for at least 20 seconds
• Keep your mobile phone clean: It is a widely-accepted fact that our phones are sources of bacteria
• Maintain social distancing: You can still chat and share stories with those who live close by but please remember to maintain a two-metre distance
• Avoid the spread of fake news and follow reputable sources
• Listen to advice from your national health authorities:
• If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you’ll need to stay at home for 7 days.
• If you live with someone who has symptoms, you’ll need to stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person in the home started having symptoms
• Check in regularly, especially with those affected

* Comparison based on the average global aggregate cost to send using data sourced from the World Bank for Q4 2019.