Trial By Fire

Trying times is when mettle counts most. The global slowdown, compounded with a pandemic across the planet, is such a trial by fire. It is like the medieval practice of walking on hot coals — the ultimate test of character. The issue in your hand holds up cases and instances when Corporate India has walked on those scorching coals and come out unscathed.

Along with the sigh of relief over the partial lifting of the lockdown, come concerns over positive coronavirus cases crossing the 13-lakh mark. The situation remains grim across the country. An unexpected but desirable fallout of the pandemic is the increased awareness and focus on hygiene, health and safety across the breadth of the country.

The surge in demand in the ecommerce sector is the second happy outcome of the lockdown. The sector saw a lot of activity over the last few months, involving both strategic partnerships and innovations. The question now is — how will ecommerce retain this level of activity in the post Covid-19 world? The cover story attempts to answer this very question with inputs from leading players in the ecommerce sector.

We also bring you an in-depth report on how India’s fintech companies have fared during the pandemic. The report explores how these companies have attracted new investments, made acquisitions and innovations to stay in step with the times and highlights the roadmap ahead. As usual, we bring you expert opinions. This issue has a special focus on the transition that Wipro is going through — another trial by fire. We also bring to you the first of a series of case studies on companies that weathered a storm. We begin with the story of Tanishq.

The second cover story examines the strength and potential of India’s maritime power. India’s position in the Indian Ocean Rim is of strategic importance. It also has tremendous commercial potentials, should India’s Blue economy be honed. The sea lanes around the peninsula ferry a substantial quantity of the world’s trade and India could step up its maritime role by developing its ports, fisheries and by tapping seabed minerals. India must trade with the world if it has to thrive beyond the pandemic and a focus on strong alliances with friendly nations is critical.

Our third special feature is the Top Engineering School Rankings. A BW Businessworld property, the rankings aim to be a guide for some of the top technical education institutions across the country. This segment also offers interviews with some eminent academicians.

This edition of BW Businessworld promises to keep you engrossed in features, columns and analyses. I do hope you enjoy reading the issue in your hand, as much as we did compiling it.

Happy reading!

This article was first published in the print issue of (26 July - 08 August 2020) BW Businessworld. Click Here to Subscribe to BW Businessworld magazine.