‘The pandemic taught us how to look at constraints through the prism of opportunity’ – 20 quotes from India’s COVID-19 journey
In this compilation, we present thought-provoking quotes from the weeks of December 12 – January 1 that frame India’s battle with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous edition here). 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 2022 on Entrepreneurship, Motivation, Investments, Women Changemakers, Social Entrepreneurs, Environmental Change, Pandemic Resilience, Digital Transformation, India Opportunities, Design, Art, Failure Lessons, and Storytelling.
With cases of COVID-19 again on the rise we need to make treatments readily available in LMICs (Low- and Middle-income Countries) so no one is left behind. - Charles Gore, MPP
Air Suvidha portal self-declaration has been made operational for passengers travelling in all international flights from China, Singapore, Hong Kong, Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Japan. - Ministry of Civil Aviation
WHO Prequalification for Nirmacom is a significant milestone in the fight against COVID-19 as it allows us to expand access to this important innovative antiretroviral drug to people in need. - Vamsi Krishna Bandi, Hetero Group of Companies
From the FICCI perspective, I hope we don't have to revive the COVID task force. - Subhrakant Panda, FICCI
Pandemics, conflicts, economic shocks, and climate change push millions back into poverty and oppression. - Sandeep Chachra, ActionAid Association
Two-wheeler demand has remained weak over the past few years, with consumer sentiments impacted by factors such as income uncertainty during the pandemic period and a persistent hike in two-wheeler prices led by both regulatory changes and inflationary pressures. - Rohan Kanwar Gupta, ICRA
Revenue during FY 2020-21 has reduced drastically compared to FY 2019-20 due to travel restrictions imposed during COVID-19 by the Government of India. - Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of Railways
Globally, leisure destinations are leading the travel recovery curve, while in India, we’re seeing business travel also significantly contribute to the sector. - Shreerang Godbole, OYO
There was no way to meet people during the pandemic. Forget being part of a tech event. - Amisha Shukla, Chhalaang hackathon
2022 was the year we all came out of the stupor of the pandemic—with never before learnings and a new sense (and respect) for normalcy and our own mortality. - Radhika Ghai, kindlife
The founders of Human X and CAxpert, our partners have organised many virtual masterclasses during the pandemic, addressing finance and compliance-related issues of several entrepreneurs. - Anna Roy, WEP
The pandemic break helped me chart several ideas that I may now someday fulfil through my curatorial endeavour. - Wendy Amanda Coutinho, '832'
Designers were motivated to push technology further during the pandemic out of necessity, but this has moved technology further and we can now use the results for exciting purposes. - Emma Roberts, Liverpool John Moores University
I believe that the civil aviation sector has rebounded and what we in economic parlance say is a V-shaped recovery. - Jyotiraditya Scindia, Civil Aviation Minister
The Indian cold supply chain industry is rapidly developing, especially post COVID, and has huge growth potential. - Swarup Bose, Celcius Logistics
Overcoming the brief slump of the COVID-19 disruption, the 2022 Diwali season saw a 30% surge in the sale of gold. - Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, BlueStone
The transformation of India into a digital economy is taking place at an astonishing pace, accelerated by the pandemic. - Ramanujam Komanduri, Pure Storage
There's no doubt that the pandemic affected almost every industry, but the music industry took a particularly hard hit. Even top artists didn’t have shows for two years. - Bickram Ghosh
The entire restaurant dining industry came to a standstill during the pandemic. Revenues were zero, and expenses of rent, salaries and wages put pressure on businesses. - Prahlad Sukthankar, SAF
The pandemic marked an important watershed in our evolution; it taught us how to look at constraints through the prism of opportunity. It also taught us that even in difficult times, the arts could make a difference in the lives of people. - Sunil Kant Munjal, Serendipity Arts Foundation
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 Teja Lele