Ankur Bhatia

Executive Director, Bird Group

India’s vaccination program, which has garnered worldwide positive attention, may help in the economic recovery as the situation of women and children is expected to improve with health programs resuming after vaccination of health workers and more people joining the workforce.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during her Budget 2021 speech on Monday announced that the government will provide Rs 35,400 crore for COVID-19 vaccination in 2021-22. The funding would definitely be a shot in the arm for the ongoing vaccine drive.

The Indian economy is indeed awaiting a return to normalcy in sectors such as travel and aviation. These sectors which provide jobs to 10 per cent of the population are the ones that are now carrying most of the COVID-19 burden and have yet to start operating at anywhere near pre COVID-19 levels. They are also the sectors responsible for enormous job losses and consumption declines. We expect a full-throttle vaccination programme augmented by the Rs 34000 crore funding will bring the long-awaited cheer to the sector. People will start flying with confidence for leisure, like during pre-COVID times after being significantly emboldened by inoculation against the virus.