We paused to save lives, now we need to save livelihoods: Sajjan Jindal

Industrialist Sajjan Jindal on Monday pitched for restarting the economy, saying saving lives is as important as saving livelihoods.

"The Covid-19 crisis brought the world to a stop! We paused to save lives but now we need to start again to save livelihoods," said Jindal, chairman of diversified JSW Group in a statement. Economic implications of the lockdown can be severe and opening of business activities is crucial for India to achieve its aim of becoming a successful economy.

"Global economies are opening up. Staying at home till a cure is found will make the loss of livelihoods as severe as the loss of lives in India," he said, adding "the slower we are to re-start, the more we lose against countries out of lockdown. We can't lose any more time".

He further said India as a country needs to get back to its full capacity at the soonest to be the successful economy that it aims to be.

"Europe opened up. People in Spain, France, Amsterdam and Germany have accepted a new normal and have started living again. Restaurants, Shopping complexes, public transport have all sprung back into action. That's how you save the economy! Not by staying indoors!, he said.

The government has announced a phased exit from the over-two-months-long nationwide lockdown.