‘The bigger the crisis, sometimes the bolder the changes that are needed’ — 25 quotes from India’s COVID-19 struggle
In this compilation, we present thought-provoking quotes from the week of September 28 – October 4 that frame India’s battle with the coronavirus pandemic.
Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week. This special series of compilations focuses on India’s COVID-19 struggle (see last week’s post here). Share these quotes and excerpts with your networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.
The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for maintaining good hygiene and sanitation practices both at the community level, as well as at individual level. - NABARD
As India continues to embrace the new normal, helping affected communities to move ahead will require collective action and support. - Anand Subramaniam, Ola
Marginalised children are on top of the list of the multitudes missing out on their access to education due to lack of online access. - Puja Marwaha, CRY
The bigger the crisis, sometimes the bolder the changes that are needed. - Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital
“Stay safe” is no longer a cliche. Words, especially the positive ones have never been this impactful. - Sanjeev Grover, Dockabl
The COVID-19 pandemic has further underscored the need for robust contingency planning and continuous revaluation of top leadership amid a dynamic and uncertain economic environment. - Prasad Rajappan, ZingHR
When backed into a corner, survival implores new and better ways of doing things. - Evian Gutman, ‘Coming Back From COVID’
People have become extremely conscious of what they eat. Most people now only trust fresh, healthy, and hygienic home-cooked food. - Mona Dahiya, Homefoodi
Consumer sentiments and emotions from social media are a vital source of consumer insights for marketers, especially since the Covid-19 pandemic when conventional research has become more difficult. - Ranjit Nair, Germin8
Indian fintech industry has proven to be highly resilient and managed the COVID-19 crisis much better than what most people anticipated. - Rajat Agarwal, Matrix India
The pandemic has caused significant changes in the payments ecosystem. - Manas Mishra, PayU India
The lockdown has been a huge tailwind. It has accelerated digital and people’s willingness to pay for content by two years. - Vishnu Mohta, Hoichoi
India’s rapid recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and sustainable fast growth thereafter will depend vitally on the quality of our startup ecosystem. - Standing Committee on Finance
The growth stage startup and venture capital ecosystem is poised for the next leap with an increasing number of unicorns, soonicorns, and minicorns, even amidst the pandemic. - Rajat Tandon, IPEVCA
We need to do everything we can to handhold millions of small businesses in their digital-transformation journey and support business recovery during the current crisis. - Shalini Girish, Google
Some SMBs only need business continuity solutions. Others require digital transformation solutions for truly modernising the organisation. - Harish Vellat, Microsoft India
If SMEs/MSMEs/businesses have to sustain over a longer period, they must not only have access to working capital but also growth capital, which is not readily available right now. - Shantanu Bairagi, Artfine
The pandemic has reshaped consumer behaviour where buyers have started making conscious amendments in their lifestyle and are eating healthy. - Pallavi Bhardwaj, Save Well Being
COVID-19 has emphasised the need to build integrated supply chains. Crisis or not, you still need food on the table. - Pankaj Raina, Zephyr Peacock India
Travelling in times of Covid-19 calls for a meticulously planned trip. - Rohit Kapoor, OYO
The closure of cinema halls has led to the emergence of OTT as the new big screen. However, the charm and experience of big screens for Indians will always remain. - Kailasnath Adhikari, Happii Digital
COVID-19 has been a catalyst to all in the education sector. It has done what demonetisation did to fintech. - Piyalee Chatterjee Ghosh, FIAH
With COVID-19 plunging much of the planet into lockdown, and America named one of the world’s coronavirus epicentres, the best and worst of tech is on display. - Maëlle Gavet, ‘Trampled by Unicorns’
The cracks of work-from-home are now beginning to show. Not enough space for work and family, blurred boundaries of personal and professional space are leading to signs of reduced productivity and fatigue. - Robin Chhabra, Dextrus
It is important to navigate the crisis alongside customers. If you do so, you can become partners for life. - Ram Sukumar, Indium Software
YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).
