FIGSI Earmarks Rs.5 Crores Towards COVID 19 Relief in Karnataka

Federation of Indian Granite and Stone Industry is an all India trade body serving the Natural Stone Industry of India from the Last 37 years. The Natural Stone Industry of India provides huge employment in the rural sector for semiskilled and unskilled people throughout the country.

All these years, whenever a national calamity has taken place, the Federation has contributed whatever possible to the Government towards the calamity funds and various state levels.

Now as a responsible organisation and citizen of the country, the Federation has earmarked a sum Rs. Five Crores towards the latest Global Pandemic - COVID 2019, Out of this Fund three and half crores has been earmarked for the PM CARES FUNDS and donations to various state governments towards COVID 19 relief fund where Natural Stone operation is being done.  Balance has been earmarked for other facilities like providing Health care facility like Ambulance, Ventilators, Pure drinking  water facility to the stone clusters etc. across the country which will be done during this financial year.

Contributions will be sent to the respective funds including the PM CARES FUNDS in due course.

It is not out of place to mention that the Federation has already contributed Rs.10,00,000/- towards ambulance to Jigani sector in Bengaluru Urban District and Jalore sector in Rajasthan, Pure drinking RO water plant to Kagalavadi Panchayat at Chamarajanagar towards its social responsibility.

Straight to Digital: Amazon Prime Video to Globally Premiere Seven Highly Anticipated Indian Movies

Slate of movies across 5 Indian languages with titles like Shoojit Sircar’s Gulabo Sitabo starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, Shakuntala Devi featuring Vidya Balan as lead, R. Jyotika starrer Ponmagal Vandhal among others will premiere between May and August on Amazon Prime Video.

Prime offers incredible value with unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy, Amazon Original Series, ad free music through Amazon Prime Music, free fast delivery on India’s largest selection of products, early access to top deals, unlimited reading with Prime Reading, all available only for ₹129 a month

Following the announcement of the upcoming premiere of Shoojit Sircar’s Amitabh Bachchan (Black, Piku) and Ayushmann Khurrana (Shubh Mangal Zyaada Saavdhan, Andhadhun) starrer Gulabo Sitabo, Amazon Prime Video today announced an additional six highly-anticipated Indian films will be premiering directly on the streaming service. Spanning five Indian languages, the Direct-to-Service line-up features additional releases such as Anu Menon’s Shakuntala Devi with Vidya Balan (Dirty Picture, Kahaani) in lead, legal drama Ponmagal Vandhal starring Jyotika (Chandramukhi) in addition to Keerthy Suresh (Mahanathie) starrer Penguin (Tamil and Telugu), Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam), Law (Kannada) and French Biryani (Kannada). The movies will premiere exclusively on Prime Video over the next three months and will be available in 200 countries and territories worldwide.

“At Prime Video we believe in listening to what our consumers want and working backwards from there. This belief is the genesis of our latest offering,” said Vijay Subramaniam, Director and Head, Content, Amazon Prime Video, India. “Over the last 2 years, Prime Video has become the destination of choice for our customers to watch new releases, across the languages, within weeks of their theatrical release. Now we’re taking this one step further, with seven of India’s most-anticipated films premiering exclusively on Prime Video, bringing the cinematic experience to their doorstep.”

“Indian audiences have been eagerly awaiting the release of these 7 highly anticipated films and we are delighted that Amazon Prime Video will now be premiering these movies for our customers - who can enjoy watching these from the safety & comfort of their homes and on a screen of their choice. Prime Video with its deep penetration in India, with viewership across over 4000 Towns and Cities, and its world-wide reach in more than 200 countries and territories, will give a large global release footprint to these films. We feel truly excited about this initiative and are confident of delighting our Prime Members with this offering” said Gaurav Gandhi, Director and Country General Manager, Amazon Prime Video India.

Amazon Prime Video’s direct-to-service slate:

Ponmagal Vandhal (Tamil), from 29th May on Amazon Prime Video starring Jyotika, Parthiban, Bhagyaraj, Prathap Pothen and Pandiarajan, Ponmagal Vandhal is a legal drama. The movie is written and directed by J.J. Fredrick and produced by Suriya and Rajsekar Karpoorasundarapandian.

Gulabo Sitabo (Hindi), from 12th June on Amazon Prime Video starring Amitabh Bachchan and Ayushmann Khurrana, Gulabo Sitabo is a quirky family comedy depicting day to day struggles of the common man. The movie is written by Juhi Chaturvedi, directed by Shoojit Sircar and produced by Ronnie Lahiri and Sheel Kumar.

Penguin (Tamil and Telugu), from 19th June on Amazon Prime Video starring Keerthy Suresh, Penguin is written and directed by Eshavar Karthic. The film is produced by Stone Bench Films and Karthik Subbaraj.

Law (Kannada), from 26th June on Amazon Prime Video starring Ragini Chandran, Siri Prahlad and veteran actor Mukhyamantri Chandru, Law is written and directed by Raghu Samarth and produced by Ashwini and Puneeth Rajkumar.

French Biryani (Kannada), from 24th July on Amazon Prime Video

French Biryani features actors Danish Sait, Sal Yusuf and Pitobash as leads. The movie is written by Avinash Balekkala, directed by Pannaga Bharana and produced by Ashwini and Puneeth Rajkumar and Gurudutt A Talwar.

Shakuntala Devi (Hindi), release date to be announced featuring Vidya Balan in the lead, Shakuntala Devi is a biographical drama on the extraordinary life of Shakuntala Devi, mathematics genius, writer and astrologer who was popularly known as the human computer. Also featuring Sanya Malhotra and Directed by Anu Menon, the film is produced by Sony Pictures Networks Productions and Vikram Malhotra.

Sufiyum Sujatayum (Malayalam), release date to be announced starring Aditi Rao Hydari and Jayasuruya, Soofiyum Sujatayum is written and directed by Naranipuzha Shanavas and produced by Vijay Babu’s Friday Film House

The new releases will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue. These include Indian-produced Amazon Original series like Four More Shots Please!, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series, including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

Prime members will be able to watch all titles anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India at no extra cost with Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

ABOUT AMAZON PRIME VIDEO

Prime Video is a premium streaming service that offers Prime members a collection of award winning Amazon Original series, thousands of movies and TV shows—all with the ease of finding what they love to watch in one place.  Find out more at PrimeVideo.com.

●        Included with Prime Video: These titles join thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood, including Indian produced Amazon Original series such as Four More Shots Please!, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, and award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series including Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel available for unlimited streaming as part of a Prime membership. Prime Video includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

●        Instant Access: Members can watch anywhere, anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV and multiple gaming devices. Prime Video is also available to consumers through Airtel and Vodafone pre-paid and post-paid subscription plans. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost.

●        Enhanced experiences: Make the most of every viewing with 4K Ultra HD- and High Dynamic Range (HDR)-compatible content. Go behind the scenes of your favorite movies and TV shows with exclusive X-Ray access, powered by IMDb. Save it for later with select mobile downloads for offline viewing.

●        Included with Prime: Prime Video is available in India at no extra cost with Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

Industry Leaders Discuss Rebuilding Business At Virtual Conference from Across BFSI, Retail, and Manufacturing Sectors

Industry leaders from BFSI, manufacturing and retail sectors deliberated on the need for innovation and real-world digital transformation to reimagine businesses in the new reality at the Microsoft Envision Forum today. Senior executives and experts discussed the current challenges facing different industry verticals and also shared best practices they have adopted for employee safety and business continuity. Anchoring the dialogue at the first ever virtual edition of Envision, Microsoft reiterated its commitment to enable every organization to sustain, innovate and grow its business.

In the keynote session Anant Maheshwari, President, Microsoft India and Aarthi Subramanian, Group Chief Digital Officer, Tata Sons analyzed how the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered digital acceleration and the role that it  will play in rebounding and building resilience in a fluid and evolving environment. Calling for a collaborative effort, Maheshwari said, “COVID-19 has changed our businesses, communities, industries and world forever. No one company is going to solve a challenge like this alone, and it is going to take the private and public sectors working together to turn the tide on COVID-19. Our priority has been to keep our employees and communities safe; support frontline workers as well as help our partners and customers keep their businesses running. As we continue to work through the current situation and plan for the future, it’s clear that the change required is significant – as is the potential opportunity across industries. Technology will play a stronger role than ever before - enabling economic recovery and helping each one of us achieve more.”

According to Ms. Subramanian, COVID-19 will accelerate the scaling of digital across industries and investments in Cloud, AI and cybersecurity. “Digital transformation in companies will focus on new end-to-end customer journeys and we will see an increase in adoption of automation in manufacturing industries. They will also invest in enhancing employee engagement given the remote working model.  Enterprises will build world-class digital infrastructure as a horizontal capability," she said.

Maheshwari added that technology will play a major role in management of social sector programs across education, health, and public distribution, helping to strengthen the economy. He also called out the need for robust security solutions and trust as organizations build tech intensity for a new future.

Intelligent manufacturing for a better future: As manufacturers cope with fluctuating supply and demand and disruption in production, they are reconfiguring their production, supply chains, and services to stay operational and sustain deliveries in these unprecedented times. Mayur Danait, CIO, Pidilite, said, “Manufacturing has always been a traditional business but post COVID, the sector will have to reinvent to enable a seamless partner ecosystem. Use of IoT to drive shop floor efficiencies and the use of digital collaboration, predictive analytics, bots and gamification of experience to drive engagement with end-users and channel partners are likely to be the norm going forward”.”

Reimagining the retail industry after the lockdown: Over the last couple of years, technology has enabled retailers to transform every aspect of the value chain. With the novel Corona virus crisis, the sector is trying to steer through major health and safety concerns for their employees, mandated store closures, drastic shifts in demand and evolving customer needs. Sanjay Bhattacharjee, Head – CRM, Titan Company Limited, said, “There has been a paradigm shift in consumer mindset - from retail therapy to the inability to step out from home to physical distancing. The way customers shop has and will change dramatically, and this is the new reality in which we all have to function now.  How brands are interacting and engaging with their customers makes a lot of difference.  Going digital is the key to enable a virtual experience for customers - right from viewing products on the app to booking a product to its delivery. Through remote communication platforms, retail brands have the opportunity to establish a deeper connect with the buyer community than before.”

Rebuilding the financial services sector post-COVID: Banking and financial services providers have adjusted operating models and services to support customers and help those who need the most assistance, while meeting regulatory and compliance obligations. According to Anoop Mahapatra, Deputy Managing Director, State Bank of India, “SBI has been playing a pivotal role in the country and over the past decade the bank has been investing heavily in building an robust IT ecosystem to digitally transform the banking experience at SBI. It facilitated running the entire ecosystem seamlessly even during a difficult time such as now. Our 22000 branches and network of 58000+ ATMs are working seamlessly on a robust IT platform. Around 90% of the total transactions go through anytime channels i.e. other than branch channel and as such the post COVID impact on customer service is insignificant. Although there has been some drop in loan requirements, to overcome this SBI has a strong end-to-end AI/ML platform with number of AI based pre-approved loan products, to provide loans with ease and we hope the traction for the same will be built up in the coming days.” The State Bank of India has also leveraged Microsoft Teams for its large workforce to stay productive and collaborate while working from home.

A key focus of the conference was the importance of reskilling the workforce as employees and organizations shift gears for the road ahead.

Responding to Covid-19 in India together

As India and the rest of the world respond to the Covid-19 outbreak, Microsoft has been working to do its part by ensuring the safety of its employees. The organization is striving to protect the health and well-being of the communities in which it operates, in addition to providing technology, solutions, tips and resources to businesses of all sizes and complexities to stay productive and help people to work and learn remotely, while they stay safe and connected.

L&T Technology Services Reports 11% Revenue Growth in FY20; Net Profit of ₹819 Crore, Up 7%

L&T Technology Services Limited (BSE: 540115, NSE: LTTS), India’s leading pure-play engineering services company, announced its results for the fourth quarter ended March 31, 2020.

Highlights for FY20 include:

Revenue at ₹56,191 million; growth of 11%
USD Revenue at $786 million; constant currency growth of 9.3%
EBIT margin at 16.5%; up 50bps
Net profit at ₹8,186 million; growth of 7%
Board has recommended a final dividend of ₹13.50 per share

Highlights for Q4FY20 include:

Revenue at ₹14,466 million; growth of 8% YoY
USD Revenue at $195.4 million; growth of 3.4% YoY in constant currency
Net profit at ₹2,048 million; growth of 7% YoY

During the quarter, LTTS won 9 multi-million dollar deals across all major industry segments which includes one deal with TCV of USD30mn plus. On a YoY basis, LTTS has increased its USD20mn+ clients by 3 and its USD10mn+ clients by 5.

“We closed FY20 with 11% revenue growth accompanied by an improvement in operating margin despite multiple headwinds through the year – starting with Telecom & Hitech segment in Q1FY20 and ending with Covid-19 in Q4FY20.  While Covid-19 is an ongoing challenge, we have continued to be the reliable and preferred partner to our customers while at the same time taking care of the health and safety of our employees. In response to the pandemic, LTTS has rolled out a suite of digital offerings, including i-BEMS Shield for safe workplaces and Frugal Manufacturing to help enterprises transfer or prioritize their manufacturing & production lines.

The near-term outlook for the world economy appears uncertain as a result of the fallout from the global pandemic, however we see this crisis accelerating the trend of customers seeking credible partners who bring capability and speed-to-market. We believe this will lead to greater consolidation and enable us to expand engagement scopes once customers adjust and re-draw their business plans under a new normal.

The scale, track record and recognition that we have built over the past decade has been on the back of our investments in people, competency building and technology design labs which we are determined to continue so that we reach the milestones we have set for ourselves”, said Dr. Keshab Panda, CEO & Managing Director, L&T Technology Services Limited.

Industry Recognitions:

* IDC rated LTTS as ‘Leader’ in Worldwide Business and Industrial IoT Engineering and Managed Services 2020
* LTTS was rated as an overall leader by NelsonHall in Digital Manufacturing Services
* Conferred with the U.S. based Brandon Hall Award for Best Advance in Employee Rewards and Recognitions

Patents

At the end of the fourth quarter, the patents portfolio of L&T Technology Services stood at 502, out of which 365 are co-authored with its customers and the rest are filed by LTTS.

Human Resources

At the end of Q4FY20, LTTS’ employee strength stood at 16,883, a net addition of 96 during the quarter.

About L&T Technology Services Ltd

L&T Technology Services Limited (LTTS) is a listed subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited focused on Engineering and R&D (ER&D) services. We offer consultancy, design, development and testing services across the product and process development life cycle. Our customer base includes 69 Fortune 500 companies and 53 of the world’s top ER&D companies, across industrial products, medical devices, transportation, telecom & hi-tech, and the process industries. Headquartered in India, we have over 16,800 employees spread across 17 global design centers, 28 global sales offices and 51 innovation labs as of March 31, 2020.

Private Industry is Quietly Laying the Foundation for India’s Future Amidst the COVID-19 Storm

“When India speaks of self-reliance, it does not advocate a self-centered system. In India’s self-reliance there is a concern for the whole world’s happiness, cooperation and peace,” – inspiring words by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the nation this Tuesday.

He announced a 20 lakh crore economic package as India’s response towards battling the pandemic of COVID-19 and also as a cornerstone towards his aspirations of an ‘Atma-nirbhar Bharat’.

The Indian private sector seems to be inline with the Government’s ideologies and they are coming up with innovative solutions to not only curtail the effect of the Coronavirus but to also to lay a solid ground for India’s future in the times to come.

1. Education

Education is the backbone of any civilization, community or a country. At a time when schools and colleges are forced to shut down, these edtech apps are not only enabling them to function from the comfort of their homes but are also upskilling the work-force so that they can stay relevant to the demands of the current situation.

EduBrisk
EduBrisk, a brain-friendly educational solutions platform for schools and students has started a ‘Classroom to Virtual Classroom’ program that enables schools and freelance teachers to go live within 24 hours. They have invested in high-quality human resources to start this education program in India and have on-boarded 30 schools since the lockdown period. They are also planning to on-board 150 more schools within the span of next 2 months. GD Goenka Public School-Siliguri, QMS Schools-Kolkata, St Peters- Ernakulam, Al Ameen Public School-Kochi etc are a few examples of the schools taking virtual classes using EduBrisk’s platform.

IntelliPaat
IntelliPaat, an online professional training courses & certification platform is providing 12 free IT courses on their platform. The courses appeal to the youngsters looking for a bright career in the IT field and the ones who cannot afford expensive professional courses. They provide various learning/skill-building courses in Data Science, AI, Web Technologies, Cloud computing etc at a very nominal rate and also provide a certification that is valid across the globe.

2. Logistics

Logistics is the lifeline of any economy. It is responsible for the movement of raw materials, goods, agricultural products or even normal food deliveries. So, when the entire country is facing the lockdown these logistic players have stepped up the occasion in order to meet the daily requirements of the country, some have even altered their business models for doing so.

Lalamove
Lalamove, an on-demand logistics company is offering an uninterrupted service to the FMCG Companies where they are free to choose multiple locations and vendors at one go. The merchant or user of the Lalamove platform can add up to 20 drop-off points in a delivery order. They have tied up with FMCG brands like Marico Ltd, Amazon, Coca Cola, Tata Consumer Services, Himalaya, Godrej Consumer Products, UdaanFresh, UdaanMeat and Licious for meeting their delivery requirements.

72 Networks
72 Networks; a PAN India distribution house specializing in last-mile delivery is reaching out to rural areas for deliveries of COVID-19 protection kits & other essential items. They are delivering items like PPE Coverall, PPE – Gloves, Googles & Masks, PPE Kit, IR Thermometer, Sanitizer Spray, Anti-fog Face Shield, Biofresh Hand Sanitizer and Microtouch Nitrile Gloves across states like Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, West Bengal,  Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Orissa.

3. Technology/Solution Providers

Desperate situations call for desperate measures and Indian IT & Tech industry has always been known for their product deliveries and innovative solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has enabled them to create out of the box solutions that can revolutionise the future.

Ameyo
Ameyo, an Omnichannel Customer Engagement Technology provider has launched a video-based KYC for businesses to eliminate the need for physical KYC. The product is based on the latest RBI guidelines issued in Jan 2020. Their video KYC is an end-to-end solution with omnichannel capabilities of scheduling and reminding customers to complete the KYC process thus enabling brands to reduce the drop-offs by 20%.

OxyGarden
OxyGarden has introduced India's first Air Sanitizer that purifies and humidifies air naturally. Their patent-pending technology helps maintain the recommended ideal relative humidity levels for building an environment with the help of controlled transpiration in plants, innovative aerated growing medium and controlled photosynthesis with the help of automated airflow and growing lights.

4. Events/Awards

The sheer presence of crowd and energy is the soul of any event or award function. Though the original structure is not dying anytime soon but the COVID-19 has certainly forced the organisers to look for an alternate option.

Digital Jalebi
Digital Jalebi, an experiential design studio, has added a new dimension to their business model of creating virtual events in order to help the events/marketing companies to survive the pandemic. They have built an experiential platform to recreate how experience happens in the real world without the need for users to get out of the comfort of their homes. The platform is web based and runs on any browser of laptop and mobile phones.    

Onelife Nutriscience Expands Executive Team, Appoints Vinay Jain as Chief Operating Officer

Onelife Nutriscience, the leading Nutraceuticals Company, today announced the appointment of Vinay Jain to the role of Chief Operating Officer.

Vinay is a result oriented professional with over 18 years of versatile experience in sales, marketing and P&L management in both B2B & B2C (Consumer goods, Dairy, Wellness, Insurance & Industrial goods). Vinay has significant experience & track record of scaling up new ventures & managing large operations. With a unique blend of having worked in MNC, Indian FMCG & start-up, Vinay has thorough understanding of sales, marketing & commercial aspects of BU management and proven ability to drive results through a collaborative team work & cross functional engagements.

Vinay has successfully led high performing diverse teams and directed operations to maximize growth and profitability. Prior to joining Onelife, Vinay has been associated with reputed Companies like Parag Milk Foods Ltd., Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd and Foseco India Ltd

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Gaurav Aggarwal, Founder of Onelife Nutriscience said "We are quite excited to have Vinay at the operational helm as we continue to expand aggressively and broaden our customer base.  Vinay joins at a time when the ongoing pandemic has resulted in sharp demand for preventative healthcare products and in line with the same trend, Onelife has also seen significant traction post relaxations on the business restrictions. We are confident that Vinay will add tremendous value to the company going ahead leveraging his strong experience in the FMCG / Wellness Industry”.

About Onelife:
Onelife Nutriscience Pvt. Ltd. (”Onelife”) owns the consumer healthcare brand “Onelife – Live it right”. Onelife has over 100 products in the nutrition, wellness and beauty space with presence in more than 15 cities across West and North India. Onelife has recently raised Pre-Series A funding of INR 50 Mn from a group of HNIs from Pharma / Healthcare & Chemicals Industry.

COVID 19 Effect: Suspension of IPL 2020 is Big Setback to Athletes and Supporting staff, As it's Important Source of Livelihood for Many

By : Mr. Yeragaselvan Kumarasamy, Founder & CEO, Run Adam (an omni-channel sports-aggregation platform) https://runadam.com/

Change is an incessant constant and the Covid-19 pandemic is undoubtedly a marker for a major change in all aspects of life, of methods of living and working and of lifestyles. Hit hard by the lockdown imposed across India due to the pandemic  the sporting fraternity too will need to incorporate many changes that will have long term implications on the way games are played.

There is a lot talked about how many sections have been affected by the pandemic. However, not much attention has been paid towards sportspersons, athletes, coaches and their supporting staff including nutritionists, physiotherapists, sports psychologists right down to groundsmen who have not only hit hard by the lockdown imposed across India due the pandemic but the effects of it are very damaging for them in many ways.

The huge fear that they face is not being able to do what they love to do and that is playing the sport. The situation is quite challenging especially for competitive athletes who have been training hard for years to participate in global events like Olympics etc. For these people lack of activity is a major challenge as their entire day is mapped out for every minute right from when they wake up to the minute they go to sleep.

Thousands of athletes have had to put their dreams on hold following the lockdown the stress of the delay could take a toll on the mental health of athletes. Health experts warn that prolonged isolation could take a big mental toll on people whose livelihoods and self-esteem are intrinsically linked to the competition.

Along with these athletes, a lot of other people too are equally involved and are in a shock phase, probably confused due to all the chaos that the situation has caused. They see themselves as athletes and are very tied up in their involvement with the sport and their inability to participate in training activities they find themselves in a hopeless position.
Coaches and psychologist who work with professional athletes are worried about their coping strategies one is the competitive edge that they have and the other being able to really push themselves physically for six-seven hours a day. They don't that anymore, which is making it very difficult for all concerned.

Many sports bodies have reacted by offering support to these athletes and their supporting co-workers. However, for some sporting associations due to other priorities, these sports bodies also have to make spending cuts reducing their ability to help.

The big setback came with the BCCI announcement to suspend IPL 2020 until further notice in the wake of COVID 19 outbreak and subsequent extension of lockdown till May 3rd by Indian Government.  It has had a major impact on players & fans.
Being deeply connected with athletes, the IPL is not only an important source of livelihood for many thousands and the potential loss is having a huge impact on those associated with it.

The high-level, high-profile professional athletes can handle this loss of income but there are a lot of athletes on the fringe. For the supporting staff, a few months of loss of activity will have a significant loss of income as well as their well-being.

The government must extend support to all those supporting the athletes in this critical time or increasing private sector participation by allowing incentives under CSR scheme to those supporting sporting activities or making it attractive for them to contribute to a sports body through tax breaks.

Currently, the supporting staff is faced with a daunting challenge of staying relevant in their respective sport even as they stare at a bleak future.

A certain economic downturn and its potential fallout is looming as many are facing uncertainty about the year ahead. The only positive is that there is some predictability that big events like IPL and T20 World Cup might actually take place after some rescheduling.

The government should consider permitting training and allied sporting activities with strict implementation of the social distancing and hygiene norms. Many associations are requesting the government to allow these in low-exposure-risk areas, even if the lockdown has been extended with a plan to gradually exit in phases.

The short and medium-term changes have affected everyone across the sporting world. Adopting the right attitude is a key underlining factor that will determine the ease of change and its effectiveness. It is critical that we have confidence in the future. Half the battle needs to be won in the mind. Positivity will beget the right decisions and hopefully, everything will return to what it was before the global coronavirus pandemic hit the sporting world.