There are so many doomsday predictions going around for about a number of businesses going into extinction due to Corona times. I believe most of these are overhyped and unwarranted. Among the businesses that are being written off by these prophets of doom are Retail, Travel, Tourism, Hospitality, Automobiles, Restaurants, Local Transport, Real Estate etc. They say the world will never be the same after the Corona and they talk like the above businesses will be extinct. 

I consider the argument absolutely amusing. All that the argument is feeding on is the fear of the businessmen about their businesses going bust for ever and the sadism of those who would love to see others fail. I do not see any more credit to these theories. 

Yes. There will be changes in the way we live and behave. However, no Corona will ever alter basic human needs for ever. We as human beings are deep down Social beings. We are not and cannot be individual islands living connected only via technology. We do not go to a restaurant because we do not have excellent food at home. We go there for an experience that we will never get at home. It is a Social experience. Netflix has been around for sometime now and most of us have been using it as well at home. However we still go to the movies when there is a good movie. We go there for the experience. There is a huge difference in watching a Rajanikant movie at home alone or with family and watching it in the theatre. I believe you know the difference. It is a Social Experience. We Travel not because we are not happy where we are. We travel because, we yearn to see new sights, taste new food, experience new culture. We go for the experience. Even if technology could enable people work from home, the efficiency or the effectiveness of team works can never happen if everyone is physically apart. Because we connect with others better with physical proximity. It is an experience. It is a social experience. We do not go to malls just to buy something which can probably be bought via online as well. We go there to touch, feel and buy. We also go there just to eat out, hang out with friends and family or just to do window shopping. We go there for the experience. It is a social experience. We do not buy a vehicle just for commuting. As a social being it is also a symbol of your success in life. It is an experience of who you are. A social experience. We do not go to a pub just to drink. We can comfortably do it at home as well. We go there for the ambience. We go there to connect with friends and family. We go there to unwind. We go there for an experience. It is a social experience. 

I can go on and on with such examples. Therefore when I hear people talk about these businesses going dead, I rather sigh. Yes. for the next six months to one year there will be a dip in these businesses. These businesses also will go through transformations to a certain extent. However none of them will go extinct. Once Corona is under control and once the economy is back on track, people will long for these experiences again. And then these businesses will boom into new heights. 

If you are in any of these businesses, take a deep breath and think innovatively about surviving the next six months to one year. Take all measures needed to tighten the purse and work out of squeezed budgets. Those who survive will see glory in the future. Essential social needs of human beings will not change. It hasn’t changed in millions of years through famines and pandemics that swept through this world and eliminated millions. We will become more aware of the need to build and nurture our family relationships and friendships. We may also become more spiritual seeing the mortal nature of human life. Corona will certainly change a few behavioural patterns. But our social nature will prevail. And we will come together again in large numbers for building a better world for us and the generations to come. It certainly will be a better world. A more refined one.