Sydney businessman Govind Kant dies from COVID-19 in India

A Sydney businessman has died in India after contracting COVID-19, according to his employer.

Govind Kant, 47, travelled to India in April for personal reasons, and died in a hospital in Delhi in recent days.

His employer, Trina Solar, confirmed the death in a statement.

“We have lost a dear friend and valued colleague. Trina Solar Australia assistant director, Govind Kant, has passed away after contracting the coronavirus in India,” the company posted on LinkedIn.

“Govind, who was based in Sydney for Trina Solar, had returned to India for personal reasons. Unfortunately, Govind contracted the virus in India and has passed away. He was 47 years of age.”

Earlier this month it emerged a 59-year-old Australian permanent resident died after contracting COVID-19 in India.

Sources have told the ABC Mr Kant flew to India last month following the death of his mother.

On March 31 he posted a link to a virtual memorial service on his Facebook page, writing: “I am so sorry Mummy – I was not with you.”

RACV Solar chief executive Andy MCarthy told the ABC he had been concerned about his friend and mentor as the COVID-19 crisis in India intensified.

“I’ve spent the last month really worrying about his welfare,” said Mr McCarthy, who had known Mr Kant for 15 years.

“He was my mentor and I’m just going to miss him terribly.”

Mr McCarthy said “grief had enveloped the solar industry” since Mr Kant’s death.

“He was just so universally respected and loved by competitors, colleagues alike — he was just a great man,” he said.

News of the permanent resident’s death came during an Australian-imposed ban on people travelling from India to Australia.

That ban was lifted on Saturday, when the first India repatriation flight in weeks touched down in Darwin.

In a statement, Foreign Minister Marise Payne expressed her condolences to Mr Kant’s family and said the government was providing consular assistance to his family.

“It is tragic and my heart goes out to his family. It is such a very difficult time in India,” she said.

“It’s a very difficult environment to operate in, but we’re working very hard to assist those Australians who wish to return to Australia.”

The challenges that we’ve seen in the last week on that first return flight, I’m sure they won’t be isolated. But we will continue to deal with those and be very careful and very mindful of the medical advice in all of this.

India on Tuesday became the world’s second nation, after the United States, to surpass 25 million coronavirus cases. The country’s total caseload is now at 25.23 million, while the death toll is at 278,719, according to health ministry data.