‘Preparation is key to dynamism’ – 20 quotes of the week 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.

The pandemic brought in heightened awareness about immunity. - Rishubh Satiya, Plix

The sudden disruption caused by COVID-19 also pushed many people towards fee financing to ensure the continuation of the wards’ education. - Rohit Gajbhiye, Financepeer

Keeping communication frequent during the lockdown while training people was extremely challenging. - Keshav Sharma, DESCAT UK

The first two waves of COVID-19 were tough for the hospitality industry. But brands that have established themselves in the consumer’s mind have been able to do well during and post COVID-19. - Sushant Goel, Third Wave Coffee

The pandemic has created many gaps in service deliveries that are being delivered by startups. We envisage a huge blue-ocean opportunity in backing such businesses in their early stages of growth. - Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Venture Catalysts

The outbreak of COVID-19 has accelerated the transition to automation that requires a specialised skill set in the workforce to adapt to a digitally driven world. - Yogita Tulsiani, iXceed Solutions

Although online is the future and the pandemic has given the much-needed push with online sales, we still cannot overlook the opportunities and overall consumer experience that the offline market provides. - Vyal Adhye, Freshpick

With people spending more time at home, they have upgraded their consumer durables including fans. - Manoj Meena, Atomberg

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The e-commerce vertical has experienced immense growth since the start of the pandemic. It hasn’t just been about new users turning to mobile to shop and make purchases, but the kind of services people require from mobile has also changed. - Paul H Müller, Adjust

The COVID-19 lockdowns, incredibly affordable smartphones, and easily accessible internet were the factors that catalysed growth of the gaming community in India. - Pranav Panpalia, OpraahFx

The gaming industry in India reached an all-time high amidst the COVID-19 pandemic when people from all age groups and walks of life explored the arena of online gaming, and understood the intricacies of the gaming industry. - Parth Chadha, EWar Games

The online channel [for art exhibitions] saves travel time and transportation costs of art pieces. - Lakshmi Kesavan, Chitra Santhe

Virtual events happening as of today somewhere lack the warmth and energy of physical events. - Hariom Seth, TaggLabs

Things look much brighter for malls now. - Rajendra Kalkar, The Phoenix Mills

During the festive season, we literally touched pre-pandemic footfall. - Rajneesh Mahajan, Inorbit Malls

The huge pent-up demand, improved vaccination coverage across India, and some incredible, entertaining content starting to roll out together has played an effective role in drawing audiences back to theatres in massive numbers. - BookMyShow

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed not only the skills needed to be successful in the new economy, but also how those skills are imparted. - Manish Maheshwari, Twitter

People demand autonomy. With being asked to work from the office, employees fear going back to old ways and losing flexibility. Employers need to address this concern immediately to avoid any unwarranted impact on business. - Mainak Maheshwari, PeopleAsset

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Studies have shown that corporations have to re-look at work flexibility seriously to alter their staff to work from their homes, as these usually accompany multiple demands: space, time, and attention. - Jyoti Bowen Nath, Claricent Partners

The hybrid environment has played a pivotal role in addressing several barriers faced by women and the substantial economic and skill dividends that they bring can no longer be ignored. - Iravati Damle, Zoom Video Communications

The pandemic taught companies an essential lesson, that is, preparation is key to dynamism. Every company must be prepared for a scalable and effective emergency plan that might help prevent business interruptions and staff misunderstanding during any crisis. - Rishi Das, IndiQube

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).