Covid brought to mankind despair, fear, anxiety and hopelessness.  One thought it was never going to end.  One dreaded to open the newspaper for it carried mainly information on infections and fatalities.

This crisis was alarming because it has several unfamiliar features.  A global medical emergency caused by a virus we did not know till now.  A self-inflicted economic catastrophe in response to contain its spread.

The world after COVID-19 is unlikely to return to the world that was.  Many trends in the global economy are being accelerated by the impact of the pandemic.

This is especially true of the digital economy, where digital behaviour such as working from home and learning from home, tele-medicine, and food and other delivery services, all these prospering amidst the ruins.  Malls, cinema halls, hotels, airports, railway stations, small businesses, to name a few were rendered totally useless.  Marriages were postponed; if a marriage had to take place at all for some reason, the invitees were few and far between.

The future of work has arrived faster, along with its challenges such as income polarization, worker vulnerability, more gig work, and the need for workers to adapt to occupational transitions.  This acceleration is due not only to technological advances but also to new considerations for health and safety.

India had taken all possible measures and more, particularly with reference to controlling and curtailing the spread of the virus by virtue of timely lock-downs, vaccinations with wide coverage of adults and elderly.  India had also helped other countries by shipping vaccines which such countries could not produce themselves. The role of the pharma industry, its R & D and medical professionals have all done a great job in helping the cause.  The government helped industries to sustain themselves with timely financial help, more than once, and that helped paying the salaries of the workers.

No doubt, however, we lost some near and dear ones due to the dreaded covid.  This is an irreparable loss to those who miss them.  However one must thank the Lord that the mayhem ended a while back, although it continues to raise its ugly head in some parts of the world.  It is hoped that in such places, adequate steps are being taken to control the spread of the virus.

Be that as it may, what happened post-Covid?  The economy is coming back to its original growth plan in full force. The automobile, steel, cement, fertilizer, transport and other major sectors and manufacturing industries in general are coming back to and beyond pre-covid production levels. GDP growth is inching closer to 7%.  People are slowly getting back to the routine, with less fear of the future.

We at Haat did not have to stop salaries or down-size the worker strength in all these confused states of affairs.  Of course, our staff and workers really bent their back to keep the ship floating with whatever had to be done. There was a general feeling of happiness, renewed energy and will to do something more.

In this situation, we are happy that order books are getting filled fast and our people are kept very, very busy in the shop floor, at office and in the field. We have some old customers and new customers trusting Haat for their unfinished work of waste management, post-Covid.

We have projects for our incinerators and thermal oxidisers going on, and it will keep us going for the better part of next year, both within and outside the country.  Within India, there are two major projects for the chemical industry, a project for the Indian Navy, and overseas we have projects coming to us from Europe, North America, the Middle East and the Far East.  These include oil and gas projects, precious metal recovery, hazardous waste incineration facilities, marine incinerators and so on.  We also had a stream of overseas visitors who are likely to conclude their projects with us shortly.

All in all, it has so far been an unforgettable experience during covid times and thereafter and we are now working with renewed energy to meet our goals.

We hope the trend will continue for us and for the other industries for the benefit of the economy and mankind.