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HT Dialogues: Deep Kalra on Covid-19 impact on travel sector and spirit of Gurugram
HT Dialogues took place on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown for another 19 days to check the spread of Covid-19.
At a time when the whole world is hit badly by the coronavirus disease Covid-19, the hardest hit is the travel sector. The rapid spread of the disease has made people wary of coming in contact with each other, and hence, they have stopped travelling unless absolutely necessary.
The scenario was highlighted by Deep Kalra, founder and executive chairman of online travel compay MakeMyTrip.
“Travel is hit as bad as any business, and will take the longest time to recover. That’s the nature of the travel business. Non-discretionary travel might come back a little earlier, but it looks like a distant thing, you know, to think about people getting on to planes, or trains, or staying in a hotel unless absolutely necessary,” he said on HT Dialogues on Tuesday. He added that the spirit of Gurgaon has come out very well in this difficult time.
“We are bracing up for the worst. Because of the nature of the beast out there. It is unknown, and no country has been able to tackle it,” added Kalra.
HT Dialogues was organised with top officials of Haryana government and Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority to deliberate and discuss what the state government has done in tackling Covid-19, and what is the way forward. The participants also included industry representatives and members of the resident welfare associations.
The virtual event took place on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced extension of the nationwide lockdown for another 19 days to check the spread of Covid-19. Kalra welcomed the decision.
“There is no other way but to keep on extending lockdown in a smart way. The prioroty is to survive, to ride this time out and conserve cash as much as possible. We can thrive later,” he said.
The business man also suggested developing more automated solutions to prepare for such scenarios and ensure that businesses take the minimum hit.
The death toll due to coronavirus infection in the country rose to 339 while the number of cases soared to 10,363 on Tuesday, said the Union Health Ministry.
While the number of active Covid-19 cases stood at 8,988, as many as 1,035 people have been cured and discharged and one had migrated, it said.The total number of cases include 72 foreign nationals.
