Challenges, opportunities, uncertainty – 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. Share these quotes and excerpts with your networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

See also our pick of Top Quotes of 2021 on Entrepreneurship and Leadership, Investment, Digital Transformation, Storytelling, The India Opportunity, Pandemic Resilience, Failure Recovery, Design, and Art.

You are what you eat. We have realised the essence of this proverbial saying so well in COVID times. - Sweta Choudhary, Nightingales

In the current busy schedules and pandemic lifestyles, it is definitely a hassle to spend time, effort, and money on 10-12 step skincare routines, while it is effective to declutter and reduce skincare steps, when one or two products can deliver the results. - Samhitha Inturi, 3AM

There appears to be a renewed confidence in business, while uncertainty continues to loom as we anticipate a third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. - Shivir Chordia, Microsoft India

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With restrictions on the physical movement of people to contain the spread of the coronavirus, regulatory bodies like RBI, IRDA and SEBI knew only too well that technology is the need of the hour, and passed circulars on implementing disruptive technologies for identity verification. - Siddharth Kukatlapalli, Syntizen

The pandemic accelerated the shift from traditional recruitment to virtual recruitment and onboarding a remote workforce. - Anshuman Das, Careernet

The ongoing pandemic has forced companies to witness a five-year change in merely a few weeks, with automation at its centre. - Pankaj Pawan, Maximl

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The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a surge of the gig economy, which comprises freelancing or part-time work rather than full-time, permanent contracts. - Anshuman Das, Careernet

As we moved into a COVID-19-induced lockdown, our lives became screen-focused and podcasts turned out to be the perfect escape in an otherwise screen-filled routine. - Varun Duggirala, The Glitch

It is interesting to note that Indian startups have spent close to Rs 2,500-3,000 crore year-to-date to buy back ESOPs during the pandemic. These measures are primarily driven by the need to attract and retain top talent in a relatively young business, especially a startup. - Sanjay Shetty, Randstad India

We are one of the very rare travel technology companies that remained profitable even an impacted by COVID-19, and I think that’s like passing a litmus test. - Prashant Pitti, EaseMyTrip

COVID may have put a few out of business but innovation, better business intelligence, and outreach has helped many Indian breweries weather the storm. - Prasanna Kumar, Brew & Barbeque

The prolonged closure of campuses due to COVID-19 has caused many students to miss out on learning opportunities and social interactions which are essential for their overall development and wellbeing. - Hemant Sahal, CollPoll

After lockdown, people started appreciating online courses. - Aditya Goela, Goela School of Finance

To keep the social learning process of children alive, parents started relying more on interactive and learning-based toys, causing a steady increase in sales in the toy sector. - Vick Rana, Red Ridge Global

In these unprecedented times, ensuring safety on campuses has been a major area of focus and concern for educational institutions. - Karan Kumar, O.P. Jindal Global University

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Music can help you to truly embrace your despair in a deeply cathartic way, to lift your spirits and help you feel joy despite the situation. - Sarah-Jane Summers, Forde Festival

Continue to work, continue to experiment, continue to socialise and build networks. Never feel satisfied. - Wage ES, MayinArt

Inspiration for artwork can be drawn from the problems around us, including the pandemic. But on the other hand, the pandemic has also caused the art market to decline. - Yurnalis Bes, MayinArt

After weeks and months spent at home and partly isolated, [..] people realise what going to concerts and other art events really means to them. - Torill Faleide, Forde Festival

Many who had a passion and inclination for art but had no opportunity before the pandemic, started working on art – especially those who were too depressed with lockdown. - Raadhaa SG

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).