In Mumbai, members of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a social support network for those trying to achieve recovery, found themselves cut off from peer support when a national lockdown was announced in March to facilitate isolation and break the chain of the Coronavirus outbreak. Like for many others, technology has come to the rescue.

Sessions that were scheduled in schools, hospitals and churches, are now held using the Zoom app. Since the lockdown. AA has conducted 200 online meetings across India, including with members in Jammu and Shillong, across languages. Robert, who looks into the public information requests for the group, says the city has seen 25 meetings so far, free and mostly over voice calls with end-to-end encryption. Video formats are discouraged. That it also saves money and is accessible has led to increased participation.