WorklifeIndia

More than 10 million marriages take place every year in India, while the wedding industry - one of the biggest in the country - is estimated to be over $50bn in size. Multiple ceremonies, large gatherings, destination choices, designer wear - the list is endless, as families try to outdo each other in scale and extravagance.

But the coronavirus has hit the industry hard, with the government restricting the number of guests to just 50. Royal revelries have all but vanished, with masks and sanitisers becoming an essential part of the smaller, cheaper weddings.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Kaveri Vij, wedding planner; Raghav Khullar and Vandana Mirchandani, newlyweds; Saurabh Goswami, matchmaker

It is generally a busy time of the year for Indian students looking for opportunities to pursue a foreign education. Studies show that Indian students pay about $10-13bn every year in overseas tuition fees, and an American education sits right at the top for most students.

In the last 20 years, the number of Indian students who went abroad has increased by more than 1,000%, according to a recent report. In the US alone, there are currently more than 200,000 Indian students.

But the picture is grim this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. With many universities switching to online education, and government policy flip-flops adding to the uncertainty, is the dream American education losing its charm?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how foreign education is evolving, and whether an overseas degree remains a top pick for Indian students.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Jasrine Dham, undergraduate student, Brown University; Sudhanshu Kaushik, founder and executive director, NAAIS; Vanisha Sharma, PhD student, Cornell University

“I was told I would look pretty if my skin were lighter.” “My parents constantly worry how they’ll find me a good husband, as I am very dark complexioned.” “I am the fairest in my family… so obviously, more privileged!”

For most Indian women, these are day-to-day conversations in a society where lighter skin tone is considered beautiful, even superior. But in recent weeks, in response to the conversations taking place around the #BlackLivesMatter campaign, several companies have come forward to drop words such as 'white', 'fairer', or 'lighter' from their skin-lightening products.

But will it have any significant impact on the deep-rooted colourism that is part of the Indian culture? And would Indian brands be more inclusive?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the best ways to beat colourism in India.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Nandita Das, Bollywood actor and director; Karishma Kewalramani, founder and CEO, FAE Beauty; Harish Bijoor, brand and business strategy consultant

When India implemented a strict lockdown three months ago, thousands of migrant workers walked hundreds of miles on foot to reach home, as the cities where they worked shut shop. Nearly seven million workers are estimated to have now returned to their native villages.

But this has led to a fresh crisis, as most are without any means of livelihood.

While the government has announced schemes offering at least 100 days of employment, and is trying to map workers’ skills to rural-specific jobs, most labourers say they are yet to receive any tangible benefits. Meanwhile, businesses are reopening in the cities, and facing the challenge of a missing labour pool.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Divya Varma, Centre for Migration and Labour Solutions, Aajeevika Bureau; Rituparna Chakraborty, co-founder, executive vice president, TeamLease; Maneet Gohil, co-founder, CEO, Lal10

In India, there have been growing calls to boycott Chinese goods. The two countries were recently involved in one of their deadliest border clashes in over 50 years, which left 20 Indian soldiers dead.

Now anti-China sentiments are gaining momentum within India. And so are calls for a boycott of Chinese goods. The expectation is that trade sanctions can inflict far greater injury on China, as India imports Chinese goods worth nearly $80 billion - far more than its exports at around $20 billion.

But is it easier said than done? China remains India’s largest trading partner in goods. Chinese companies have invested billions of dollars in Indian startups, and Indian companies depend heavily on Chinese imports.

So, will a boycott serve India’s interest? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss whether India can really afford to boycott Chinese products.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Sulajja Firodia Motwani, vice chairperson, Kinetic Engineering, founder & CEO, Kinetic Green Energy & Power Solutions Limited; Nikhil Pahwa, digital policy expert & founder, Medianama; Sonam Wangchuk, inventor, education reformer

India’s mega Hindi film industry, Bollywood, is staring at a loss of more than $300 million. Since mid-March, film production has been stalled and the country’s 9,500 theatres are shut because of the coronavirus outbreak. This has led to massive job losses.

Mumbai, India’s financial capital, which is also home to the multi-billion-dollar industry, has allowed resumption of film shoots and production work from next month, but with severe restrictions. How will social distancing norms affect filmmaking? How will Bollywood's trademark song-and-dance spectacles be filmed?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how Bollywood will have to change to survive the coronavirus crisis.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Tisca Chopra, Bollywood actor; Amit Behl, senior joint secretary, chairperson - outreach committee, CINTAA; Sidharth Anand Kumar, vice president - films & events, Saregama India Ltd

India’s coronavirus infections have climbed to the fourth highest in the world.

As the country nears 300,000 cases, the significant spike in infections has begun taking a toll on India’s healthcare system. Hospitals are struggling to cope with the number of patients they are getting. Many allege that patients are being turned away due to a lack of space.

While local governments are trying to ramp up capacity, it is not uniform across the country. Mumbai, India’s financial capital is among the worst hit with nearly 100,000 cases and a need for at least 80,000 more hospital beds. The southern state of Kerala, on the other hand, has been praised for its stringent measures to tackle the infections. The state has reported just over 2,000 confirmed cases so far.

So, what is working and what could be done better to handle the situation? In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss the measures that can help India tackle its healthcare crisis.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Dr Rathan Kelkar, mission director, National Health Mission Kerala; Preetha Reddy, vice chairperson, Apollo Hospitals and president, NATHEALTH; Prof K Srinath Reddy, president, Public Health Foundation of India

India is gradually unlocking its economy after more than two months of shutdown to contain the coronavirus outbreak, but many businesses and factories are facing a shortage of labour. That’s because when the factories closed down, millions of migrant workers, left to fend for themselves, returned to their native places. They have little to do there.

On top of that, several states have diluted labour protection laws, saying it would attract investment and create more jobs. But critics say this would make India’s workers - among the lowest wage earners in the world - more vulnerable to exploitation.

So, in this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how can India protect its workers. Will diluting labour laws revamp the economy or create a labour crisis?

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors:

Airlines, airports and ground-handling firms across the globe are in survival mode, trying to keep afloat. But the aviation industry, almost entirely grounded for months due to the coronavirus pandemic, is now taking tentative steps to start flying again.

In India too, domestic flights have resumed amid easing lockdown restrictions. New rules are in place for flyers. Thermal body checks are being conducted and wearing of masks is now mandatory for all flyers.

Restarting domestic flights has also had its share of confusion and chaos. Long queues have been seen at the airports, dozens of flights cancelled at the last minute and many passengers left high and dry.

So, as planes take to the skies again, how will the pandemic impact the way people fly? And how will the airlines survive?

In this edition of WorklifeIndia, we discuss how the aviation industry is gearing up for its future flight plan.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Jitender Bhargava, author, civil aviation expert, former executive director of Air India; Vinod Kannan, chief commercial officer, Vistara; Captain Aparna Singh, pilot, SpiceJet

As governments across the world ease lockdown restrictions, more and more people are now returning to work. In India, too, this week marks the start of considerable relaxation in the lockdown, which has been in effect since 24 March. Industries and businesses are making a cautious start with stringent health and safety regulations in place. Some have opted for staggered working hours, while others are going for flexible shifts.

But with the threat from the pandemic far from over, returning to work is not easy. For many, concerns remain. What about the risk of contracting the coronavirus once back in the workplace? And what about financial security, as cash strapped companies go for huge salary cuts or pink slips to staff? A recent study indicates as many as 93% of India Inc employees are anxious about returning to work over health and financial concerns.

So, in this edition of WorklifeIndia, we talk about how to manage work-life after the lockdown.

Presenter: Devina Gupta

Contributors: Muralikrishnan B, COO, Xiaomi India; Neha Bagaria, founder and CEO, JobsForHer; Dr Shyam Bhat, psychiatrist and trustee, The Live Love Laugh Foundation