Indian Startups endure unprecedented Challenges but still find Opportunities during COVID-19 Pandemic

Although the first half of 2020 was supposed to be a banner financial period and witness accelerated growth throughout numerous sectors, the COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas.  In every industry sector, we saw unprecedented economic challenges, especially among early-stage startups.  It’s not about the industry sector that suffered the least or most amount of damage anymore, but rather the extent to which each sector was hurt, hence the decline in company formation in India.

From the standpoint of damage assessment, the hospitality and travel sectors suffered the most in the way of economic losses and realistically, these will most likely be the two sectors that have the longest recovery period under what is now the “new normal.”  Furthermore, sectors such as logistics, manufacturing, transportation, and other areas that are classified as “people intensive” will be facing difficult challenges as well. However, there is hope that things will get better over the next few months.

How have Emerging Sectors been affected?

Emerging sectors such as the hygiene industry gained prominence as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and good hygiene has been a hot topic of debate in India.  Unfortunately, very little action has been taken over the years.  However, this will likely change because of the global impact of widespread contamination risks. The Prime minister, Narendra Modi had been emphasizing and launching campaigns to improve hygiene and sanitation for the past few years. This has improved the situation but a lot still needs to be done.

Whether it’s a matter of community, personal, or surface area hygiene, the landscape has changed dramatically over the past several months.  Even now, we’ve been seeing a dramatic increase in the number of India attract investment post-COVID-19 efforts among numerous early-stage startup companies.

Adversity – a significant Source of Opportunity

Ever heard the expression “War not only destroys, but also creates opportunities for those who are resilient and keen to rebuild.”? Well, the world has been at war with the Coronavirus and it has provided many difficult challenges yet amazing opportunities.  We’ve seen numerous economic, financial, and physical challenges including:

• Cash flow impact attributed to lost sales
• Funding and investment plans being put on hold
• Growth setbacks for companies of all sizes
• Manpower shortages in labor-intensive industries including agriculture, construction, manufacturing, and so on)

Coincidently, this has given rise to numerous opportunities on a global scale such as increased online sales and product innovations. Indian companies are now focusing on delivering their products to the consumer’s residence.  And guess who will benefit the most from all this? Those startups who figure out a method that meets these demands and fulfills the needs of the consumer will benefit the most.

The bottom line is simple.  Indian startups that are capable of creating products that address the needs of the global marketplace will witness accelerated growth that surpasses pre-Coronavirus economic times. The future looks bright.