Going forward, price trends would be a function of demand. Both domestic and exports demand will be key determining factors affecting price trends.

IIL is already working with Griffith University for conducting R&D of Zika virus vaccine which is currently at pre-clinical toxicology testing stage.

This is the most crucial time to leverage the power of exponential technologies, especially cloud. Any organisation that is still in two-minds about moving to the cloud; needs to embark on a cloud adoption process immediately.

OTT platforms do have a buffer in their libraries but delayed production schedules will hit revenues.

Sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, grocery and warehouses would call for additional talent with new skill-sets.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has allowed resuming operations in the gardens of Darjeeling, Doars and Terai with a workforce of 25%.

Startups must maintain their financial health by conserving cash, cutting down on costs and renegotiating their existing contracts.

Easing financial burden, preventing project failures and protecting jobs are a must if sector’s to preserve its health.

The official also said as the social distancing norms will remain in effect in near future, it has to start conducting its discussions and other work online.

Growth was already slowing before the corona outbreak; forcing industry to pay full wages imperils MSMEs’ survival

Global and multilateral institutions and national governments need to come together to make sure that the loss of income is offset through cash-and-kind support.

Risk has a known probability distribution. For uncertainty, the probability distribution is unknown. Covid-19 makes us confront uncertainty, not risk

Transfer amounts should also be linked to CPI. While PM-KISAN covers only farmers and is much more expensive and exclusive, such a transfer would avoid narrow coverage, also avoiding inclusion/exclusion errors

The impression was reinforced when Rajnath Singh, and not Shah, was appointed last month to head the 15- member high-power ministerial committee coordinating with states on ensuring movement of essential supplies during the lockdown.

The lockdown has achieved its purpose. Extending it may not be worth the cost.

WHO’s Solidarity and Oxford’s RECOVERY trials can give a clearer picture on some drugs that showed early promise.

Covid-19 could benefit the dairy industry as consumers could shift from meat-based to dairy-based protein. The govt may consider reducing GST on ghee and milk fat from 12% to 5% .

Even a 25% fall in their incomes due to the lockdown will make 354 mn more people poor. fixing this with cash transfers will cost the govt Rs 19,500 cr per month.

The country’s NGOs and trade unions were critical in monitoring the situation, and reaching vulnerable groups.

Globally, experts are looking at “excess mortality” or mortality gaps as another measure of the coronavirus death toll. This approach compares the number of deaths during a certain period to the historical average.

Coronavirus is ensuring the trade-off, especially for developing economies is significant, notwithstanding efforts to strike a balance

A case could be made out for including chief ministers' relief funds in the list of entities eligible for corporate CSR funding

The industry is the most apt for creating livelihoods. Govt should consider supporting SMEs in the sector through tariffs to prevent their collapse due to the pandemic

Before tertiary infections take root, it could perhaps be a good to plan to decongest the slums by arranging travel of migrants to their home in orderly manner without losing time

It must include those quarantined as well instead of just the infected; wider testing critical if the app has to work.

Government orders on waiver of rents impinge on contractual rights.

Corona will worsen world hunger, while malnutrition facilitates increased vulnerability to the pandemic.

Bengal’s handling of the Covid outbreak raises many questions.

The Covid 19 crisis is an opportunity to redefine tax policy and law. A calibrated approach to balance welfare economics with a vision to pioneer economic activity and national growth is needed.

Today, when the US, China, UK, France, etc, which spend much more on healthcare than other nations are facing a crisis, one can very well understand how bad the situation could have been if the outbreak was in the third world, where a majority of global poor live with very little or no access to public health care. The situation would have been much worse.

India’s Achilles heel on ratings is its parlous state of fiscal affairs and the risk of a sharp deterioration of government debt to potentially ~75-80% of GDP.

The world must use this opportunity to fund global public goods and rebuild global systems to fight the right battles.

In India, which is the biggest democracy in the world with over 1.3 billion people, the question of public health has never been debated in public.

The Covid 19 crisis is an opportunity to redefine tax policy and law. A calibrated approach to balance welfare economics with a vision to pioneer economic activity and national growth is needed.

The lockdown is an opportunity to mainstream sustainability in economic policy as it has made citizens amenable to decisions that have a high discount rate.

We should continue to implement all the needed public health measures instead of projecting testing rates as the sole path to salvation

The basic decision making on the ground must be left to the states and should involve municipal corporations and wards.

Lack of PPE & shortage of testing kits is a real issue.

Containment zones must be marked ‘red’, not the entire district; also, will activity be curtailed if areas turn ‘red’?

India’s share of world manufacturing output is just 3%; it can easily be raised to 6% in 3-4 years, and 15% by 2030

The pandemic and its economic consequences have given every state economy the unprecedented opportunity to take bold decisions and accelerate decadal growth.

Liquor-store crowds show the masses still don’t understand the importance of social distancing in fighting Covid-19

Covid-19 presents an opportunity for UGC to push for US SAT-style common entrance exam

Given the many advantages it has over traditional litigation during the corona crisis, arbitration should no longer be just an alternative dispute resolution mechanism, but the primary choice for adjudicating disputes.

Building infrastructure to enable remote working will boost economy.

Banks don’t want to lend, so if `2-3 lakh crore of deposits flow to a 5% govt bond, a Covid-plan can be part-financed.

Israel has just reported a potent monoclonal antibody (mAb) against SARS CoV-2. Firms in South Korea, the US are leading mAb trials.

In an unprecedented crisis, you would expect them to take full responsibility for lakhs of poor; as they did in ancient times.

States should be allowed to issue ‘pandemic relief’ bonds, with the central bank being allowed to buy these bonds by printing money and monetising their debt.

The Katoch committee, in 2015, had proposed several measures like setting up parks for API, providing capex, and subsidised loans to boost domestic production of APIs.