Corporates expect economic normalcy to take nearly 17 months: TRA whitepaper

N Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, said, “The biggest concerns of Corporate India are of global recession, which is 66% on the worry index, followed by India’s inability to overcome the health crisis at 59%. Three important factors of business survival, India’s bleak economic outlook and social unrest, all had a worry index of 57%, showing the many concomitant challenges that corporate India was grappling with at the moment. Shaky consumer confidence remains lowest on the worry index at 39% showing ‘little worried’, possibly implying corporates are currently more concerned about the larger picture leading to disruptions.”

He added that considering the Covid impact, the highest was revenues for the year at 75% impact index, followed by advertising at 64% impact, showing that the first cuts were in immediately controllable expenses, especially in the light of the negligible demand for many sectors during the lockdown.

The survey revealed the coping-worry gap among upper management was the highest at 32%, and perhaps there is just too much on the plate of the top management to cope with everything together. The other challenge of the upper management is perhaps the external show of strength they have to present, despite their personal fears and anxieties.

On the priority of corporates, Opex reduction has the top slot with 69.5% priority, CapEx reduction is the second highest priority at 65.5%, business strategy taking 64.5% priority, company operations are at 56.5% priority and, contrary to what many would believe, manpower cost reduction is the very last what that corporates look at, which stands at 51.5% priority.