Outbreak of COVID-19 and imposition if world wide lockdown has resulted into
mayhem in global markets. The pandemic is turning into an unprecedented
International crisis, with serious repercussions on people's health as well
as economic activities. But there are always silver linings to the dark clouds.
No doubt, crisis brings with it many difficulties but it will also create
opportunities and foundations for better tomorrow. It has been always seen that
the major world upheavals in the past be ut World war 2 or Ebola or AIDS
pandemic have always brought societies together and has generated opportunities
which lead to a positive change in the world economy.
Though What's next
for India? is a looming question gripping the country but we have reason
to believe that there's light aplenty at the end of this tunnel. India could
emerge as a global leader if it plays its cards well right now. Moreovee many
positive changes are seen in the environment as well. This essay aims to focus
and analyze the opportunities that are created by COVID-19 pandemic fir people
and how will it help the environment and economy to flourish. It depicts that
though the pandemic has sweeping global impact but it will provide with
tremendous opportunities that will provide us with lasting lessons and
opportunities for positive change.
Introduction
The novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19 has become The fifth documented
pandemics since the 1918 flu pandemic.First case of virus was documented in Wuhan, Hubei province China in December 2019 and it has now been confirmed in
six continents and in more than hundred countries.The appearance of COVID-19
pandemic turned ourfamiliar world upside down within a span of barely a few
months.
The pandemic is the black swan event of our generation and the worldwide
containment effort to halt the spread of COVID-19 has far reaching impact on
both world as well as local community. It has led tomass scientific conference
cancellations, travel restrictions, social distancing and other unprecedented
prevention measures like lockdown which has forced the whole world to stop and
remain locked up to curb its spread. Stressing everyone in the countries it
touches, it has the potential to create devastating social, economic and
political effects that will leave deep and long standing scars.
The coronavirus
pandemic has a lot of dark aspects. Around the world, people are losing their
lives, schools are closed, healthcare system is overloaded, pink slips are
being issued to employees, stock markets collapsed, governments of almost
every nation is tussling and the countries have to spend hefty amount to curb
the spread and to arrange for medical aid. And fir everyone who is directly been
infected or not, COVID-19 is a huge stressor shaking up psyche, triggering
fears and uncertainties.[1]
No matter how serious, gloomy and unanticipated,this pandemic seems but there
are silver linings to the dark clouds as well. Therefore as the Monty Python
song Always look on the bright side of life and we should not forget
those and focus on the positive aspect of what the crisis gives us. As the good
old SWOT ANALYSIS rightly points out that there are not only threats, but also
opportunities. I Its just that we need to take right steps at the right time to
turn the crisis into an opportunity.
As PM Modi in recent address exclaimed that the pandemic will be a turning point
for a country. The countrymen should resolve to turn disaster into an
opportunity as it is said that ' Every crisis is an opportunity and it is
imperative that we turn the challenges of an uncertain present into foundations
for better tomorrow.
Opportunities for Environment
Since the outbreak of coronavirus the major step taken by the government is the
imposition of lockdown so as to curb the spread of the virus, everyone is
locked up in their houses and economy is at doldrums with no industries running, no activity taking place but this whole situation brings myriad of positive
news and the opportunities from the environmental and economic perspective.[2]
There's a clear water in canals of Venice, blue skies over Delhi and wild
animals are roaming boldly in the locked down cities. The oil industries and
airlines are floundering in this new world and carbon emissions are falling
apart. Thus it is remarked that the question about COVID-19 pandemic being
godsend for human beings or not cannot be answered but it would seem to be one
for the environment as environment is healing itself and at many places revival
has been witnessed.[3]
With everything at standstill, there is an opportunity for trees to thrive and
grow without any human interference the boon for environment as they provide
habitats for numerous species of fauna and flora and are of invaluable
importance to our environment and to human well being.With no more fishing and
with no boats and vessels plying on the rivers and waterways this has led to
prosperity of marine life, even sea turtles have been spotted returning to
areas that they avoided. Thus this lockdown has been opportunity for the revival
as well as lead to prosperity of wildlife as well as vegetation.
The most drastic results can be seen in the dropping levels of air pollution as
there was a marked decline in the levels of nitrous oxide emissions. Before
start of pandemic, the air around us had been deemed to be very toxic and due
to greenhouse effect the earth has been facing many challenges like melting of
icebergs, acid rain that lead to grave consequences for earth. But after two
weeks of lockdown UK witnessed the decline of almost 60 percent of Nitrous oxide
emissions as compared to the same period in 2019. The metropolitan areas of
India have also shown decline in the levels of air pollution [4]
Another instance which depicts cleaner air was witnessed when on April 3rd,
residents of Jalandhar, a city in Punjab, woke up to a view of the Dhauladhar
mountain range, a rare feat in normal times, considering the distance being
mainly 213 kilometres and this have not been witnessed from the city in the
recent memory [5]
Opportunities for Clean India
With this pandemic India should also pay heed towards importance of basic
hygiene facilities for everyone. As the pandemic has made us realize that their
ability to defend themselves against virus is not determined by their own
hygiene practices rather it's contingent on every individual having access to
and minimum basic standard of hygiene. The political agenda should also include
access to water, sanitation as well as soap and water for all.
People should
learn the importance of hygiene from this pandemic and refrain from spitting,
littering and even peeing anywhere. They should abide by elementary laws if
cleanliness. This will not only ensure health benefits but will also help
India to be not known as filthy country and cleaner India will cater to the
needs of both flora and fauna. Even pollution through waste could be minimized. This will also generate additional GDP growth either through prospering of
tourism ir through better health of people.
Moreover the coming period post pandemic will be characterized by the need to
cut waste and follow extremely lean business operations. Budget pressure will
further expedite the emergence of zero-waste operations which will not only help
in management of the budget but will also ensure reduced pressure on the
environment through the better disposal of the waste products and the decline in
dumping which results in pollution will be seen.
Thus this is an opportunity for all people to realize the importance of
environment and as due to restricted movement outdoors and vehicles being
retreated to garage, the nature is healing and recovering itself. The fact is
that the shutdown of economy is good for nature at least in the short term but
it brings with itself an opportunity to keep parts of this in place even after
the crisis to make long term improvements.
The current adversities shows us the
path to reconsider our lives and reorganize it in a way that has less impact on
our planet. As COVID-19 has powerfully demonstrated the value of nature for
well-being :of lost forests and captured wildlife, this pandemic provides us
with the time to ponder that this is the moment to act and opt for a path of
sustainable development and this is the favorable time to pay heed towards
environment, the place where we all thrive.
Along with environmental benefits there are myriad of economic opportunities
that awaits for India in the post COVID-19 world and India could emerge as a
great economy it plays its cards well right now.
Opportunities to emerge as Global power
In the post pandemic world India could establish itself as 'Granary of the
world ' meeting essential needs at premium prices. As Mahatma Gandhi has once
said, India lives in its village and 'Agriculture is the soul of Indian
economy ' thus this could be the right time to be back to basics and return
even stronger. The right direction and knowledge could help in channelizing the
productive use and India could well be on the map of strongest economy in the
world once the COVID-19 eclipse begin to wane.
As the world's leading economies
be it America, Japan or several other European nations have been struggling to
contain and cope up with the pandemic and it will take them a long period to
recuperate and to cater their needs themselves and here India could step in and
prove its mettle. As India is already one of the largest producer of milk
providing for 19 % of the world production, the second largest fruit and sugar
producer, third largest farm and agricultural producer and is the sixth
largest food and grocery market ( as per Ministry of Agricultural report ).
Thus India can covert the time of adversities into favorable one by feeding
hungry mouths across nations. Taking benefit of the opportunity India could
increase its exports of wheat, rice and dairy products as well. This
initiative will help the agrarian families and will boost India 's growth as
well.[6]
Another approach for India is to emerge as manufacturing hub of the world
according to the study of SBI. As already due to China's mishandling and
opaqueness of virus has reinforced the skeptical perception of the country that
prevails in most of the nations across the world and they have lost their trust
in China. Many countries have already withdrawn from China and are in search of
other options for the establishment.
Here India could grab this opportunity and
welcome industries from all over the world to setup business which will provide
employment as well as help in the growth of the country. India could become
their destination of choice provided we offer conducive environment with better
logistics, simplified land and labor laws which can enable India to develop
robust manufacturing ecosystem thus filling up the space vacated by China.
This
will attract foreign investment, latest technology, create jobs and will boost
our exports. Thus there is a huge scope to not only become self-reliant but
also capture a decent supply of global chain. Uttar Pradesh government has
already offered incentives so as to attract manufacturers who are looking to
shift base from China and this would yield huge gains in the long run.
According to recent news Apple has already started its manufacturing flagship at
Chennai plant, this shows that India is moving towards right direction.[7]
This pandemic can be seen as an opportunity to achieve self reliance and to
focus on 'Make in India', PM Modi has been asking citizens to promote AatamNirbhar
Bharat and to help prosper local manufacturers and artisans so that India can
cater to its needs itself and reduce its dependence in imports.
He is of the
view that India will fight Coronavirus and win the war against it and pandemic
will help in layong foundations for self-reliant India. The initiative #vocalforlocal
has been launched so as to promote locally produced goods. Some examples can be
witnessed as before pandemic India did not produce N-95 masks and PPE KITS but
today India manufactures two lakh masks as well as kits in a day to meet the
demands. [8]
Opportunity in pharmaceutical sector
India can also emerge as one of the competitor in the pharmaceutical industry.
India has already shipped 50 million tablets of hydroxychloroquine to United
states and other nations it was seen as the possible treatment to the virus.
India may become the world's factory for a coronavirus vaccine as The Serum
Institute (SII), Pune, one of the world's largest manufacturer of vaccine,
has partnered with Oxford University's vaccine development initiative and if
trials are successful, Serum is set to produce millions of doses by year-end
and this would establish India as one of the biggest manufacturer of vaccine in
the world And India should overhaul its healthcare by investing in indigenous
manufacturing capabilities and making the country a leader in R&D as well as
innovation.[9]
Even former -RBI governor and well known economist Raghuram Rajan see the
positive side if the virus. On being asked by Mr Rahul Gandhi that, if
there will be any strategic changes after the pandemic which India could use to
its advantage. MrRajan replied that,if there is an opportunity for India
it is in shaping the dialogue in more of a leader because it is not one of the
two warring parties. It is, however a big enough country to have its voice heard
in global economy.
He also added that India can find its
opportunities for its supply chains and industries and can try and mould the
dialogue towards one which has a great plan for multi polar global order. Thus
India should focus to develop more robust supply chains that are more likely to
function even in the face of asymmetric disruptions such as coronavirus.
The
pandemic will help India to rethink everything in the global economy and
establish India as the world leader which will not only help India to build
foreign relations and make its voice heard but will also lead to surge in
exports because of development of supply chains and industries. This will help
in influx of investments as well as growth of GDP.[10]
Conclusion
The most imperative resource this pandemic has given us is the TIME and that too
in this millennial era when everyone is always in hurry and engrossed in their
own world and have no time for each other. But its seen that people have time
for each other and for themselves and this will aid people to reconsider and
evaluate the situation and to take more risks, focus on what really matters and
embrace the opportunities.
The crisis will no doubt bring hardships and difficulties along with it but one
should believe that there's light aplenty at the end if this tunnel and we
should create opportunities and innovations while surviving through this
adversity. The major world upheavals in the past have always brought societies
together to combat the circumstances and to emerge as better species.
During
this pandemic also feeling of solidarity and collective responsibility among the
citizens can be witnessed.Every crisis brings with it an opportunity that lead
to foundations for better tomorrow, be it world war 2 that created financial
superpower or the financial crisis of 2008 that resulted into stringent
regulations and more resilient financial systems. Even the AIDS and Ebola
epidemics galvanized incredible progress in medical science and biotechnology
and helped to innovate and research more in this sector.
No matter how bad the
fall, human have risen stronger and have ameliorated the situations. Thus this
COVID-19 pandemic will provide us with lasting lessons and opportunities for
positive change.[11]
End-Notes:
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.forbes.com/sites/jeroenkraaijenbrink/2020/03/23/the-bright-side-of-corona-seven-opportunities-of-the-current-pandemic/amp/
The Bright side of COVID-19
- India will turn Covid-19 crisis into an opportunity, says PM Modi -
India Newshttps://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/pm-modi-coronavirus-crisis-opportunity-coal-mine-auction-1690230-2020-06-18&ved=2ahUKEwjNsLb25e3qAhXqzzgGHeyjAHEQFjABegQIBBAB&usg=AOvVaw0Wgl2rlN4TzsV5UICd3836&cf=1
- https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200422-how-has-coronavirus-helped-the-environment
Has Coronavirus helped the environment?
- How are coronavirus lockdowns changing the environment? | World Economic...https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-lockdowns-air-pollution
- https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-lockdown-as-air-quality-gets-cleaner-himachals-dhauladhar-mountain-becomes-visible-from-jalandhar-6345469/#:~:text=The%20Dhauladhar%20range%2C%20which%20is,rises%20from%20Kangra%20and%20Mandi.
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbctv18.com/views/covid-19-turning-economic-crisis-into-an-opportunity-5701751.htm/amp
COVID-19: Turning economic crisis into an opportunity
- https://www.livemint.com/opinion/online-views/opinion-how-india-s-economy-can-gain-from-opportunities-thrown-up-after-covid-11590915904118.html
Opinion| How India's economy can gain from oppurtunities thrown up after
covid
- https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pm-modi-coronavirus-crisis-opportunity-coal-mine-auction-1690230-2020-06-18
India will turn COVID-19 crisis into an opportunity, says PM Modi
-
https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.economictimes.com/news/economy/policy/view-opportunities-india-should-leverage-to-make-it-a-global-post-covid-model-economy/amp_articleshow/75953919.cms
View: Opportunities India should leverage to make it global post -COVID
model economy
- https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/will-there-be-strategic-benefits-for-india-post-covid-19-ex-rbi-chief-raghuram-rajan-s-answers-1672700-2020-04-30
Will there be strategic benefits for India post COVID-19 ? Ex-RBI chief
RaghuramRajan answers
- https://www.forbesindia.com/blog/coronavirus/opportunities-emerging-from-the-coronavirus-pandemic/
Opportunities emerging from the coronavirus pandemic
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