GAUTAM SINGHANIA’S physical store-focused retail businesses might have taken a hit by the Covid-19 restrictions, but he remains upbeat about future prospects. Happy with the direction of the latest Union budget and the incentives for textile parks, the Raymond tycoon is not overtly perturbed by the e-commerce wave, with markets opening up, businesses recovering and sentiments on an upward trajectory. Excerpts from an interview:
Q/What challenges did Covid-19 bring for the retail industry?
A/There was a countrywide lockdown, businesses were shut, we really could do nothing. There were no challenges—the whole country was in lockdown! Now that the country has come out of the lockdown, we are seeing very good positive traction out of this.
Again, I would say, some of our businesses are higher than pre-Covid levels, some are at pre-Covid levels. Mostly all our businesses are overriding the Covid levels, which is a good sign.
Q/What are your thoughts on Atmanirbhar Bharat, and how exactly can Raymond contribute?
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Pressure Points
Author and MP Shashi Tharoor and motivational speaker Gaur Gopal Das on how to find healing and meaning in today's world
War Over Wounded Earth
For the BJP andthe Congress, the ravaged farmlands of Vidarbha represent a cxitieal battleground in their larger struggle to win Maharashtra
Say no to continual elections
Following the recommendations of a high-level committee led by former president Ram Nath Kovind to streamline the widely scattered schedule of national, state and local elections, the Union cabinet has reportedly approved two constitutional amendment bills for likely introduction in Parliament. Predictably, the return of the ‘one nation, one election’ issue to news has set off a flurry of objections by several opposition leaders.
Fabulously, fashionably funny
The third season of the Karan Johar-produced Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives dropped on Netflix, but articles criticising the show appear in some news site or the other almost daily. If it is so bad, why keep writing about it? And if it is so bad, why would the superpowers at Netflix, who are harder to meet than the prime minister, commission the show season after season?
All in the family
The Chitaras have been passing down the secret art of Mata Ni Pachedi through generations for more than 400 years now
Raise a toast to Vidya Balan
Vidya Balan is a New Year baby. At 45, she is aglow in the most beautiful way, having won the hearts and admiration of countless fans across the world, who watched the supremely talented actor take a public tumble on stage at a high-profile promotional event recently, sharing the platform with no less a dancer than the eternally graceful Madhuri Dixit.
Death no bar
Being alive is not a legal requirement to be elected president of the United States
The Lotus POTUS
You should visit us one of these days— there is so much excitement in our USA! No, I don’t mean the famous USA—the Ulhasnagar Sindhi Association of Mumbai.
RAY OF HOPE
Actor and cancer survivor Lisa Ray talks to oncologist Dr Jame Abraham about inner strength and her surrogacy journey
LEVERAGE AI TO ENHANCE WORK
AT THE WEEK Health Summit, Siddharth Bagga, head (retail, CPG and health care), Google Cloud, elaborated on the significant work that Google has been doing in health care through artificial intelligence (AI).
