New Delhi: With several States announcing night curfews to contain the second Covid wave, India Inc asked the governments to enforce strict compliance of health safety protocols at workplaces rather than imposing lockdowns as they also showed their willingness to stock excess raw materials, vaccination and factory accommodation for workforce to tide over the situation, showed a survey.
According to a survey of more than 700 CEOs conducted by the industry body Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), top honchos of India Inc feel that the country should also focus on protecting livelihoods along with the lives as now there is scientific knowledge about the deadly virus and a large vaccination programme to contain it.
More than three-fourth of the total 710 CEOs polled by the CII felt that partial lockdowns would affect both the movement of labourers and goods affecting the production.
Up to 50% production will be hit
About 60% of the CEOs said that their production could be affected and nearly all of them (56% of the total) said that up to half of their production capacity would be hit due to lockdowns.
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More than two-third of the CEOs who participated in the survey are from small and medium companies (manufacturing and service industry), which employ the bulk of India’s labour force in the organised sector.
Enforce compliance, not lockdowns: Industry
“Stringent enforcement measures to promote strict adherence to health and safety protocols are essential and any measures to restrict social gatherings should not be extended to the regular functioning of industry and commerce,” said TV Narendran, President-designate of the CII.
According to the survey, the Indian Industry is well prepared and equipped for the implementation of stricter health and safety protocols as stated by 96% of the CEOs, almost all of them favoured stringent implementation of Covid safety norms rather than partial lockdowns.
“Protecting livelihoods along with lives is essential and industry is keen to work with the Government on universal coverage (18 years and above) of vaccination programmes and in implementing strict health and safety protocols,” TV Narendran said.
Sharp spike in new Covid cases
Early this month, the country witnessed a sharp spike in daily new cases and active cases as the number of confirmed daily infections went up from 10,000-12,000 average new cases per day in February to 1.7 lakh new cases on Sunday (April 11, 2021), which is an all-time record.
The number of active cases also surpassed the mark 12 lakh cases and the worst affected states like Maharashtra and Punjab and even other states like Uttar Pradesh announced night curfews in several districts.
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While Maharashtra imposed a weekend lockdown but chief minister Uddhav Thackeray is mulling a 8-14 days full lockdown to contain the deadly virus.
The sudden rise in Covid-19 cases and ensuing containment measures have caused concerns among the industry leaders who fear a repeat of the last year’s lockdown announced by Prime Minister Modi on March 24, 2020 that wiped out three-months of industrial activity between April-June last year.
Mitigating adverse impact of restrictions
More than two-thirds of the CEOs polled by the CII said they were willing to work with the government for mass vaccination of eligible workforce who are 45 years and above.
According to the industry insiders, a large number of Indian companies have adapted to flexible supply chains and bracing for disruptions and they were willing to bear higher transportation cost for the movement of goods.
Vaccination, factory accommodation
According to the CII survey, 57% of the companies expressed the need to stock excess raw materials to meet any shortage during lockdowns, nearly one-third of the CEOs were ready to accommodate the workforce in the factory if night curfews make their movement difficult.
More than 60% of the CEOs suggested that the Government should allow movement of workers in all shifts and free movement even during the night curfews.
Also read: 900 vaccination sites in Odisha shut due to vaccine shortage
“The Government handled both lives and livelihoods effectively during the first wave. It could do so again by keeping industrial activities out of the ambit of partial lockdowns aimed at restricting social gatherings,” Narendran said, adding that it will help the country to recover from economic contraction and stabilise the upward trajectory witnessed in some sectors of the economy.
