Lockdown, Day 71: Mixed messages ahead

India's IT sector employees aren't just battling the economic repercussions of COVID-19 but also artificial intelligence-based platforms, automation tools and other digital technologies.The country's top five IT services providers have hired fewer people over the last five years, thus impacting white-collar employment.

India witnessed the highest spike of cases with nearly 9,000 testing positive, and the total cases breaching the 2 lakh mark.

On the other hand, IndiGo continues to add planes to its fleet despite the Covid squeeze. Perhaps the economy will spring a happy surprise soon.


Track this space for latest updates...



COUNT SO FAR

• Assam reports 111 new cases, state tally rises to 1,672
• Indore reports 27 COVID-19 cases, total at 3,597.
• Highest single-day spike of 396 COVID-19 cases in Bengal
• Nagaland's Covid tally rises to 58
• Rajasthan reports 102 cases, total at 9475
• 47 Maharashtra Police personnel test positive, total at 2,556
• 51 cases reported in Jharkhand, total at 726
• Andhra Pradesh reports 79 cases, total at 3,279
• Kerala reports 82 new cases, total at 1,494
• Tamil Nadu reports 1286 new cases, total at 25,872
• Punjab reports 34 new cases, total at 2,376
• Karnataka reports 267 new cases, total at 4,063
• Madhya Pradesh reports 168 new cases, total at 8,588
• Maharashtra reports 2,560 new cases, tatal at 74, 860

World		India
Tally	Toll	Tally	Toll
6,395,328	380,580	198,706	5,598

LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

• Retailers avoid discounting to meet social distancing norms
• Gujarat makes hospitalisation mandatory for COVID test
• 10% of India’s population above 60 accounts for 50% of Covid deaths
• India's coronavirus cases cross 200,000, peak still weeks away
• Railways announces 5 intra-state special trains in Odisha
• US to ship first tranche of 100 donated ventilators to India next week
• Rajasthan Roadways resumes bus services on 200 routes
• Air India flight carrying 153 Indian nationals from Dubai lands
• PM approves establishment of PCIM&H under AYUSH
• Certain categories of foreign nationals allowed to come to India
• Spike in MGNREGS numbers reveals impact of lockdown

BUSINESS AND ECONOMY

• Moody's downgrades ratings of 8 firms, 3 banks
• Services activity contracts sharply in May, firms cut jobs: PMI
• PSBs disburse Rs 3,893-crore loans to MSMEs
• Govt approves setting up of EGoS & PDCs to attract investments
• Cabinet approves amendments to Essential Commodities Act
• VIP Industries said it might take a 50 per cent hit on its top line in FY21
• Hyundai launches end-to-end online car buying platform 'Click to Buy'
• Around 42 crore poor received financial assistance of Rs 53,248 cr under PMGKP
• Indigo will continue adding Airbus A320neo jets to its fleet
• Power Minister formally launches real-time power market
• Mahindra counts loss of 87,000 vehicles, 30,000 tractors in Q1
• IT spending in India to fall 8% in 2020 due to COVID, first fall in 5 years: Gartner
• Government eyes $17 billion investment proposals to boost local manufacturing
• US launches investigations on India’s equalisation levy on global digital majors
• Uday Kotak takes over as CII president

AROUND THE WORLD

• US has most cases at more than 2.9 million
• Europe has highest death toll at 182,000
• No evidence of coronavirus changing its severity: Experts
• Plasma therapy safe, effective for severe Covid-19 patients: Study
• Coronavirus cases in Singapore cross 36,000-mark
• Putin declines British invitation to take part in coronavirus summit
• T20 World Cup could be held in New Zealand, suggests Dean Jones
• 201 more cases reported in Nepal, total at 2300
• Australia heading for recession after economy contracts
• Zimbabwe raises $20 million in treasury bills sales to fight coronavirus
• Suez canal revenues fall by 9.6% in May due to coronavirus
• Video-meeting service Zoom said it made a profit of $27 million

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