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Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YS, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous edition here). This special series of compilations focuses on India’s COVID-19 struggle. Share these quotes and excerpts with your networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

See also our pick of Top Quotes of 2021 on Entrepreneurship, Investment, Digital Transformation, Storytelling, The India Opportunity, Pandemic Resilience, Failure Recovery, Design, and Art.

Every government is shifting towards self-testing. – Hasmukh Rawal, Mylab

Due to the pandemic, people have realised the value of hygiene, cleanliness, and air quality, while staying indoors. Thus, the need for air purification of clean air has increased. – Aayush Jha, Clairco

For people in the LGBTQ+ community, getting through the day was tough. People had no financial or emotional support from their families. – Nakshatra, Nammane Summane

The pandemic and months of lockdown have worsened an already bleak situation — desperate parents are selling minor children to traffickers who auction them off to brothels across India. – Jacqueline Olivia, Freedom Firm

The lockdown was the essential social cover that prospective [hair treatment] patients had been waiting for because now, they could recover privately and at the comfort of their home, with only a handful of people to interact with on an everyday basis. – Arika Bansal, Eugenix Hair Sciences

[The pandemic] accounts for the rise in Indian tourists visiting tea estates, which were predominantly popular with foreigners. – Ekta Jain, Octavius Tea

During these times, D2C pet care companies stepped up to board as many pets as they could, provide at-home services and deliver ready-to-eat food at the convenience of the pet parents’ homes. – Anushka Iyer, Wiggles.in

The pandemic made people realise what is of actual value. The idea of a slow and sustainable life came into existence as people spent more time at home, and it reflected very quickly on brands and businesses. – Nitika Gupta, Pine Cone

COVID and lockdowns have made house parties the new normal and consumers want to try new products that can help them improve their party-at-home experience. – Tulika Priya, Drinktales

During the lockdown, many people indulged in cooking at home. While restaurants shuttered down, cloud kitchens boomed. – Hemant Jhaveri, Badshah Masala

When the workforce shifted to remote work, digitally-enabled interactions became more valuable than traditional methods. – Samit Arora, SalesPanda

While remote and hybrid workplaces have become a more permanent part of our lives, the event industry has also transitioned — adopting the virtual and finding unparalleled value in this shift. – Nishchal Dua, Airmeet

The shift of work culture from office set-ups to virtual work generated the urgent need of secure, reliable, scalable, and cost-effective technology services across the country. – Piyush Somani, ESDS

No matter what needs group you are talking about — K-12, universities, or adult-learners — they have all experienced some form of blended or remote learning. – Amit A Patel, Owl Ventures

Earlier, small brands didn’t feel the need to launch ecommerce stores and there were several doctors who shied away from online consultations. However, the pandemic changed all that. – Prakash Mishra, Drive Digital

The year 2021 saw the high repercussions of the pandemic. While the economy did jump back to normalcy steadily, the influencer marketing industry helped in taking the creator economy to greater heights thereby connecting a lot of people with numerous brands. – Simran Balar Jain, Pulpkey

The pandemic changed the ecommerce industry tremendously. People have completely changed their buying behaviour from experiential buying to virtual buying. – Ravi Narayan Jadhwani, edobo

Post COVID-19, every brand realises that they need a digitised eB2B supply chain. But their preferred path is to use their existing distributors and wholesalers, with the power of technology. – Amit Sharma, 10i Commerce Services

[The pandemic] brought home the importance of having abundant liquidity and cash in the business to survive in unexpected or unforeseen situations when business operations are suspended, but wages, rentals, and other expenses still must be paid. – Amit Kumar

The pandemic has given stakeholders the experience and confidence for a global co-ordinated effort and momentum to address climate change which can impact the economy 1000x in comparison. – Vidya Chandy, Chiratae Ventures India Advisors

The convergence of digital capabilities, thanks to the pandemic, availability of talent, business cases, and customers are all contributing factors to cementing India’s position as the driver of global innovation. – Viral Jani, Times Bridge

Do not give up, invest this time in building value for yourself and the consumer. Prepare for things to open up. – Aditi Madan, BluePine Foods

YS has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).