'I remain optimistic that 2021 will be better than 2020 because we have visibility of vaccinations this year.'
Shortage of ICU beds, oxygen, ventilators, vaccines, doctors, nurses and crematorium space in India has dominated headlines around the world in the past few weeks with Covid-19 cases surging beyond control and the government failing to deliver. Yes, election rallies, Kumbh Mela, blatant flouting of social distancing and mask protocols coupled with a messy vaccination process are said to be responsible for the health crisis of colossal proportions that India is facing today. But an analysis of Budget speeches made by finance ministers over 75 years also offers a glimpse of how low on the priority list healthcare has featured for the political class and policy-makers, which is a significant reason for the current situation.
Some companies argue that the culture of staying, working and learning at home will persist for a while, altering lifestyle habits of consumers.
Durable goods companies and retailers say online sales won't compensate for the fall in offline sales.
Becoming a unicorn is surely a marker for a company in its growth story, but it's not a major achievement nor is it a turning point of any significant worth.
Maharashtra, which contributes between 12 and 15 per cent of appliances sales, announced lockdown-like curbs, meaning there will be no business for the second half of the month as well from the state.
'Post-Covid world will be different from the pre-Covid world.'
According to the order, all factories producing essential goods and services will remain operational at full capacity.
'Ultimately, we have to understand that we don't have the supply at the population scale. 'Therefore, it has to be prioritised.' 'That's what the government has done.'
Employees of some top Indian companies were in for a pleasant surprise when they received a mail from their HR team announcing a hike in salaries and bonuses. Led by IT firms and start-ups, HR managers say that while some have offered cash and stock options, others are in a wait-and-watch mode and add the trend will pick up in other sectors. For example, IT giant Cognizant - which had an attrition rate of 19 per cent in the December quarter - has established a $30-million employee retention fund in order to bring down the high attrition rate.
'Sure, we are teenagers who are doing this part time, but we feel we are making some sort of an impact.'
Anybody over 50 years of age or with co-morbidities can get a date, place and time of choice for getting the vaccine shots.
The move is significant since it signals the growing importance of foods in Marico's overall strategy. It also comes six months after Marico stepped into honey, a Rs 1,500-crore category dominated by players such as Dabur.
IPL 2020 was the first sports tournament to surpass 400 billion viewing minutes.
Increase in occupancy will pave way for Hindi blockbusters to release, say multiplex operators.
60-65 per cent of the FMCG industry's overall sales come from urban areas; 35-40 per cent from rural areas.
'People on the wait list will be accommodated for vaccination when the scheduled beneficiaries don't turn up.'
'There is pent-up demand for cricket after last year when no tournaments were played on Indian soil due to the pandemic.'
Organised players have been the biggest beneficiaries after the lockdowns were lifted. Given real estate is not as expensive now, players want to take advantage of the trend.
Sebamed's campaign for its cleansing bar of the same name, released across print, television, digital and outdoor, has also named Santoor, a popular soap brand from Wipro Consumer Care.
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