‘Digital capabilities have become essential’ – 20 quotes from India’s COVID-19 struggle

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.

Our world has reached a heart-wrenching milestone: the COVID-19 pandemic has now claimed two million lives. - Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary General

It’s just too easy to lay the blame on the variant and say, It’s the virus that did it. Well unfortunately, it’s also what we didn't do that did it. - Michael Ryan, World Health Organisation

It isn’t easy to predict how long this pandemic will last, so it is essential to be ready for all kinds of situations. It could be a smart move to revisit your strategies. - Kunal Sood, X Fellows

All four elements of VUCA are challenges the general public and we, as a company, are facing in the COVID-19 pandemic. - Sumana Iyengar, Goavega

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The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges for the startup ecosystem of India. The accelerators have been equally impacted, which called for quick pivots. - Ashish Bhatia, India Accelerator

What stands out singularly is how startup agility suddenly became relevant more than ever before, and perhaps the most important growth driver. - Madhurima Agarwal, NetApp Excellerator

Amidst all the chaos of COVID-19 fuelled disruptions, the need and relevance of innovation in engagement is etched stronger than ever before. - Samir Modi, Modicare

The scale at which the entire nation was pushed by the pandemic brought in unforeseen need for fundraising activities. - Anoj Viswanathan, Milaap

The lockdown has given enough time for professionals to question their career direction. - Shreekala Kurup, CrackVerbal

Taking in the longer-term implications of wasted resources, there is a rise in questions of ‘how it’s made’ and a positive shift towards more eco-friendly sustainable fashion. - Premal Badiani, Badiani New York

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While fitness tech has been one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world since 2016, the pandemic might just have triggered the sharpest growth in the industry yet. - Amaresh Ojha, Gympik

2020 also posed some interesting opportunities for businesses to embrace digital payments. Many moved their business online for the first time, ushering in a new digital transformation. - Harshil Mathur, Razorpay

Despite the pandemic, tech companies in London and India are continuing to lead the way in creating game changing technologies especially in high growth sectors such as edtech and fintech. - Hemin Bharucha, London & Partners

Due to COVID-19, students are more open to completing their academic studies via digital mode. - Mayur Zanwar, Truscholar

Personalisation became key in the early days of the pandemic. - Jasneet Bachal, YES BANK

COVID-19 has heralded a turning point in the use of social media. Over the next five years, these platforms are anticipated to grow at an exponential rate. - Douglas Andersson, Brandie

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With the world leaning towards all things contactless, going forward, consumers will be more comfortable in opting for digital payment methods. - Sushant Puri, ANS Commerce

‘Backyard weddings’ is another trend gaining popularity in the pandemic. - Saurabh Goswami, Ultra Rich Match

A majority of theatre companies had to go online because we had to keep the performing arts alive. - Raveesh Jaiswal, Bombay Theatre Company.

As countries face repeated lockdowns, school closures, and industrial shutdowns, digital capabilities — whether for remote schooling, e-commerce, or working from home — have become essential. - V. Viswanand, Max Life Insurance

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).