The world is facing humanity’s biggest crisis since World War II. Almost every country has been affected by the devastating Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Undoubtedly, this Coronavirus has put the world economy at a major risk. Businesses and individuals alike have had to adapt rapidly to cope with uncertainty and anxiety in a seemingly unending ordeal. The perseverance of businesses and people has led to the emergence of a new landscape- a ‘New Normal’ in which the global communities continue to survive.
There are several channels through which the COVID-19 outbreak has affected Indian economy. The disruption of supply chains is a major one. Job loss is on the rise along with the slowdown in manufacturing and services activities. Workers have come back to their home in faraway places, thereby leaving the upcoming harvest in a state of uncertainty. Lack of orders and initiatives has lead to massive trade contraction. Besides, there has also been a disruption in air travel, fall in travel and tourism, contraction in outdoor entertainment industries and rise in bankruptcy.
The following sectors have been adversely affected by the pandemic:
- Apparel & Textile Industry has seen a disruption in labour supply, raw material unavailability, working capital constraints and restricted demand due to limited movement of people and purchasing ability.
- Auto Sector(including automobile & auto parts)has been facing challenges on account of lack of demand, global recession and failing income levels.
As per McKinsey & Company, global trends impacting the automotive sector are as follows:
- Global supply chain disruption
- Cautious demand outlook
- Shift in mobility trends
- A resilient aftermarket
- A potential auto investment
- Deal activity to grow
- Manufacturing Sector : India offers a strong manufacturing base. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it has announced some incentives to global firms that seek to set up new operations or expand their existing operations. While India offers a range of advantages as manufacturing destinations, capitalizing on these opportunities requires a multipronged strategic approach across three broad dimensions:
- Understanding the local regulations
- Getting the location right
- Building an India-specific organization structure
- Building & Construction are generally leveraged and they are burdened with high-interest payments and lack of sales.
- Aviation & Tourism Sector has also been deprived of direct Government intervention. Since lockdown, people have stopped travelling apart from very essential travel.
- The Paper Industry has almost been wiped out as the world looks to adopt more environmentally friendly ways to live. Digital is the new normal.
For many business organizations, technology is considered to be a support function with it being used as a means to get to an end. Following the pandemic, this has changed as technology has become the frontline requirement in most organizations. It’s importance can be comparable to that of revenue-generating functions such as sales and business development.
The next 4-5 years are going to be the golden period for media & entertainment. 3D/4D chatrooms and conference rooms are going to emerge rapidly. The largest chunk of media spending will shift from television to digital. Print media will cease to exist.
Businesses will experience an increase in productivity due to reduced staff. Remote work will see an uptick. The burden on local transport will ease.
High End Technology with an uninterrupted high-speed internet powering the video lectures, online projects, etc is now no more an option for the students since physical classrooms are minimal and will be kept that way in post Covid 19 scenario as well.
Coming to the professional sector, Remote Working and Work from Home seem to accelerate as companies are giving more stress upon two factors-Health and Hygiene. In this way, productivity has risen since commuting time, expenses and energy are saved. However, to ensure all these, advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Deep Learning , automation, robotics, augmented reality, Block-Chain and 5G will be the most coveted for all the industrial sectors as every industrial segment starting from BFSI, Information technology, Manufacturing, Health care, Supply Chain & Logistics, Power etc have to develop and adopt new business models.
To conclude, this is the time to rethink and reset everything. Never before has the world come to a standstill where one can pick apart the moving pieces. If we rethink everything properly, we can overcome the challenges faced by the people in this pandemic such as environmental change, disfigured lifestyle and inequality.
