Impact of Covid-19 in India: Issues , Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

The first case of COVID-19 was detected in Wuhan city of China. The mysterious virus believed to have been spread by the sea food or bat. In a few days ,it gripped the entire world. Consequently, WHO(World Health Organisation) had to declare it a pandemic. There was no option before the world except social distancing and lockdown to keep safe from it. There are a number of issues such as disruption of supply chain, shutdown of core manufacturing sectors , loss of revenues from railways, aviation, tourism, unemployment, problems of the migrant workers, poverty , collapse of informal sectors, Micro Small and Medium enterprises and e-commerce. There are challenges before the country to deal with these issues as how to manage the survival , provide employment, eradicate poverty and improve the health sector. The country can seek various opportunities from lockdown such as utilisation of manpower , information and machine technology. The positive impact of lockdown has fallen on environment. Pollution levels have come down. Air has cleaned and Air Quality Index has improved. The paper examines the impact of lockdown, issues of economic growth as well as the opportunities wrought from the crisis.