Business in times of Covid19

Covid19 – a name we’ve all come to resent because we were forced to stay holed up in homes (maybe not everyone had that luxury though) and actually have our routines disrupted. After panic buying of essentials, adding ‘sanitizer’ and ‘protective mask’ onto the priority list of items while shopping, offering our souls to the mighty internet that kept us connected and helped us work, learn AND not lose our minds, it seemed like we almost turned into a different version of our species. A technology dependent, hyper hygienic, cautious, uncertain about the next day kind of beings.
Business as usual – a concept that was disrupted because most places had to shut shop during the lock down. But solutions are created when there are problems and the Indian jugaad skills aren’t to be challenged. Some of the businesses that not only thrived but amassed success like never before, in my observation, are the following:
Video chat – I don’t know who the main players in this sector are but I was only aware that most apps had video chat options in-built and ignored in them until lockdown happened. Duo, Instagram, WhatsApp, Hangouts were used for personal interactions and voila, Zoom and other videoconferencing apps came into the picture changing the face of how most meetings were conducted.
Streaming platforms – Netflix has been chilling without a doubt, subscriptions went up and despite the sudden interest in Ramayan and Mahabharat which gave the DD channel a lot of hype after the 90s – a commendable strategic move, most streaming platforms have had a spike in their viewership because well, everyone was at home and needed entertainment to get distracted from their mundane lives.
News apps – Current affairs being brought to people belonging to generations other than
millenials, without germophobia getting the better of them. I’m pretty sure some of us who actively avoided news channels on TV were also glued to the screens that now seem alien to us as they don’t have a dark mode because suddenly, the nation that wanted to know comprised of us as well!
Online food delivery – Until they decided to go on a hiatus, they became a case study for efficient supply chain management with options like contact-less delivery being thought of almost instantly.
Banking online – Digital India like never before was seen, a feat that even demonetization could not achieve with people being reluctant to touch cash – how incredible what a virus can do!
Games – Folding@home gave people like me a reason to believe that the gaming community was not existing just as a leisurely group and that spending all that time on their high powered computers could even contribute towards Science!
Social media – People began substituting gyms with social media antics, especially on TikTok (not endorsing it, I don’t even get it). Too much of Instagram made me extend the daily time limit that was set for it before it was discarded completely and then I ended up spamming stories by playing tagging games I would normally scoff at like ‘have I ever bingo’. Experiencing FOMO of not learning to cook for 5 seconds and then accepting that not all women need to like cooking or offer it as another patriarchal metric for others to validate her womanhood on – was another highlight. WhatsApp had lots and lots of texting, personal and on group chats and I can safely say that I can now type at the speed of light and relativity does not affect me anymore because the pandemic has somehow made us all believe that time can accelerate and decelerate at the same, wait for it, time.
Internship sites – Work from Home options became a boon for students like me because most of the previous offers were rejected and since we were not allowed to brave death to go on a part-time job hunt, it gave recruiters an opportunity to use the potential of a workforce that stayed home. A special mention must be made to people on LinkedIn being helpful even in desperate times with #helpinghands and other similar intiatives by leveraging the power of their networks to assist the needy. People losing jobs isn’t funny and with majority of the population being employed in the private sector, job safety is not a privilege most of us get to enjoy.
Network providers – Cough *Jio* cough (yes, I washed my hands even after fake coughing) – having the right marketing team to offer the perfect packs in times of panic and actually helping all of us stay online for work, education, exams (obviously the most important thing in the world even when everyone is doomed) and for fun, their job is probably more secure and needs to be termed essential too.
Healthcare – Keeping in mind the bravery of healthcare professionals who extended their working hours and put on uncomfortable protective equipment throughout, I want to dwell on the revolutionized form of the medical industry. One that enabled people who weren’t affected by Covid19 to access consultation and acquire medicines through mobile health applications. The success of these apps that offer specialized consultations, personalized recommendations, continuous monitoring and even anonymous support for those seeking help for mental health makes my heart happy because even though I’m one of the people who should be involved in the development/operations of such ventures due to what I studied in undergrad, the reason I could not pursue that career path was because there were no takers. And now, that is changing!
Information Technology sector – It has finally gone into remote working mode completely by sending employees home with desktops due to a shortage in laptops, offering early exits because they clearly know what time value of money is and coming up with HR department driven initiatives for casual Fridays at home, the IT giants keep leading the way in terms of adaptability.
Education- Suddenly all assignments can be soft copies (welcome, sustainability) and physical presence isn’t 100% necessary. Also a new age of online courses and certifications was ushered in – some sites offered flash sales and made it difficult for students to choose between renewing subscriptions to binge-watch and signing up on MOOC platforms to skill up. Education is definitely a business and it learns to overburden students in new ways. The digital divide keeps widening as classes have gone online and even the educational content made for TV is only a gimmick. It does not help that schools and colleges add to the anxiety that students face by insisting on attendance, dress code and everything that has minimal contribution to the learning process. The digitalization part is good but a lot is yet to be achieved to assure
that everyone has access and that it does not become a new path to torture young minds
by “engaging” them beyond required classroom hours (especially little kids who get easily distracted and deserve some play time as well).

Infrastructural needs in terms of basic access to technology, especially the Internet – which is definitely turning into an essential item for survival, maintenance of cleanliness in public places and timely government policies that can assist the public and direct corporates to take measures that look after the employees’ health and safety have to be addressed at the earliest and implemented effectively to help businesses and individuals tide over these difficult times. With hopes that the digital overhaul that took place almost over a span of a weekend due to a virus with a controversial origin has enough strength to have a deep impact in an advantageous way, in the apt way to bid goodbye thanks to revolution 2020 (nope, not the Chetan Bhagat book), here is me signing off.

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