‘We can survive the very worst, but life is too short’ — 30 quotes from India’s COVID-19 struggle
It is exactly five months today since India went into lockdown on March 24. In this compilation, we present thought-provoking quotes of the week that frame India’s battle with the 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.
"How you handle a crisis truly defines your brand and shapes how people perceive you." - Salonie Ganju, Matrix
"Hard times are only the other side of good times." - Chetana Ravi, 'Unbound'
"Catastrophes instigate people to look for ways to protect themselves in the event that another one occurs." - Gopal Balachandran, ICICI Lombard
"Our brain is not wired to see risk. The younger you are, the more you are wired not to see risk." - Tapan Singhel, Bajaj Allianz General Insurance
"With COVID-19, we are seeing imagery demand shift even faster away from drones and airplanes to satellites." - Hemant Mohapatra, Lightspeed India
"The need of the hour for the furniture brands is to develop an active supply chain response plan to alleviate risk and mitigate the disruptions that the coronavirus outbreak has caused." - Sidhant Lamba, Fabrento
"Since people love to celebrate with full flair, it won’t take a lot of time for them to get back to the big fat Indian wedding." - Ankita Asthana, WeddingNama
"Unlike other businesses, there is a clear V-shaped recovery in the agriculture sector as farmers are being more open to adopting new-age technologies and practices to keep their farming cycle running." - Shivendra Singh, Barton Breeze
"While the pandemic is a temporary scenario, it appears that hyperlocal delivery services are here to stay for a long time."" - Saahil Goel, Shiprocket
"The pandemic has moved logistics companies to get ready for a digitally connected and integrated supply chain." - Vishal Sharma, DB Schenker
"There is likely to be a strong preference for office spaces that undertake proper measures to contain the virus spread like screening, sanitation, air filtration, and social distancing." - Sahil Vachani, MaxVIL
"While the rules of quarantining will need to be adhered to, workplaces will benefit by developing various lines of defence against infection." - Sumit Nadgir, Hicare
"There has been development in how technology can help in space and facilities management." - Amrita Chowdhury, Gaia
"The current paradigm has extended many creative working professionals an opportunity to relocate to isolated regions of the country and beyond." - Narayan Mahadevan, BridgeLabz
"UPI has garnered tremendous momentum especially during the pandemic – 149 crore transactions, a record-breaking number, was undertaken in the month of July alone." - Dilip Asbe, NPCI
"The entire lending and financial ecosystem need to support MSMEs with agile credit solutions for a macro-economic impact." - Prashanth Ranganathan, PayU Finance
"Farmers are essential service providers as they feed the nation. They are also very vulnerable during disruptive events, such as the ongoing pandemic." - Sendhil Kumar Natarajan, WayCool Foods
"During this period many countries, including the UK, Singapore, Italy, Malaysia, etc. have offered loan moratoriums of different kinds targeting specific borrowers." - Chaitra Bharadwaj, Merican Consultants
"Bootstrapping and being self-sustainable was always applicable to start in the pre-COVID-19 era, but it is even more relevant today." - Monica Mehta, Wadhwani Foundation
Image credits: Dr Nimrat Kaur
"There will be an increasing need for companies to integrate customer journeys, tech, remote work, and gig models into their business process." - BV Naidu, StartupXseed Ventures
"Cross-functional training for all employees helps maximise collaboration and efficiency." - Amit Khetan, AfterFirst.com
"COVID-19 has replaced all travel-based distractions. It has suddenly enriched our lives with plenty of time. The change in behaviour [of consumers] is palpable and there is a clamour for the significant." - Sivakumar Sundaram, BCCL
"People should run their businesses with care whether times are good or bad by also being softer on the environment." - Jyoti Narula, Joe Shu
"Without sufficient attention, our fear is that this risk is creating a 'lockdown generation,' that could feel the weight of this crisis for many years to come." - Sara Elder, ILO
"Many are experiencing a lack of control, which further adds to their burden, often leading to burnout or experiencing mental fatigue." - Puroitree Majumdar, YourDOST
"Co-morbidity causing lifestyle diseases and pandemics tell us to place more emphasis on disease prevention." - Sajeev Nair, Vieroots
"Maintain an inner strength and mental balance to take one step at a time and face each day with gratitude for what you have." - Geetika Dayal, TiE Delhi-NCR
"Take breaks from TV and social media and establish a mindfulness practice, like meditation." - Saurabh Mehta, TiE Ahmedabad
"If nothing else, this time has shown us that we can survive the very worst, but life is too short. The virus can strike any moment and take a loved one away." - ElsaMarie D’Silva, Safecity
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).
Edited by Kanishk Singh