1.

If in India, every individual irrespective of infected or not, wears masks and replaces it at least

once a week, what do you think will be the future of Mask as a product category? Why?

Ans:

 Nothing represents the Covid-19 pandemic and its implications better than the mask, and no
item better justifies the world into which the pandemic showed up.
 To understand the market demand during the Pandemic and its future demand, we have the
graph below:

 With the pandemic continuing its rampage for the second year in India, Masks have become a
safety as well as a fashion choice.
 Considering 70% of the population are using masks, even if the pandemic ends, the health
conscious people among these people will still continue to use masks during public travel.
 Below graphs shows the result of a small survey about the people going out during the
pandemic and the change of masks in between 7 weeks.
 In the above survey, we have also inquired if people will opt for masks after the pandemic. The
results are below:

After the pandemic is over will you be using

masks when travelling outside?
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Yes No

Male Female

 Hence from the data, we can conclude that masks can be a viable product category and Indians
have become more health conscious after the pandemic due to which they have inculcated the
habit to use masks outside.
2. There have been many pandemics in history paving way for advanced medical technologies,

but none has really opened a path for designer products. Do you think masks have been hyped

as a product and adopted as a short-term decision by different industries like fashion?

Ans:

 Use of masks was hyped up very much with government circulars on covid transmission can be
reduced with the help of masks. This was required to prevent the spread of pandemic
 As the pandemic continued with arrival of new variants, people were seen wearing two to three
masks to keep themselves safe.
 Social Media influencers also came out with various designer masks and innovative ideas for
masks to entertain people.
 This resulted in a hype in the market and people from small vendors to large corporations were
all ready to make masks to meet the demands.
 Other than that, we also saw that in assembly meets or international conferences, all world
leaders attended in them in masks which set the precedent and gravity of its use.
 Celebrities were also seen donning masks matching with their dresses which created the idea in
consumers’ minds and created a new product category.
 Indian brands like Fabindia and Tjori are creating masks in beautiful block-prints and weaves and
providing them as colourful options with purchase of dresses.
 Hence, masks can be long-term product which fashion industries can capitalize on.
 3) Can you think of any other sustainable product category which could have emerged because
of the pandemic situation and superseded the sanitizers and masks? Why and how?
Ans:
 Due to strict lockdowns, procurement of daily necessities and face-to-face communications
physically came to a halt.
 Digital platforms and services took this opportunity to increase their market share and provide
the necessary utilities that people could not get out to procure.
 The active user base for grocery procurement via e-commerce companies like Bigbasket and
Blinkit has almost doubled from 2019, when it stood at 12 million. Maximum business was seen
in Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities.
 Since doctors were refusing physical checkups due to the radical nature of Covid,
teleconsultation apps like Practo, Tata Health, etc. It also boosted the online delivery of
medicine via Pharmeasy and Netmeds like companies.
 Immunity boosters’ sale rose as well with advent of covid and demand for the same is likely to
stay following the change in personal hygiene among Indians
 4) What role do you think Government policies and Social Togetherness plays in making a
product successful and sustainable?
Ans:
 Government policies can make a product successful in two ways:
1. Financial Help
2. Administrative Help
 An example of such relaxation includes how government allowed production of N95 masks from
outside facility during covid times rather than in-house to meet the growing demand of
consumers.
 Business can be provided financial help to boost production by relaxations and reducing tax rate
as per GST on import/export materials to help launch innovative products.
 Regarding administrative help, businesses can be provided leniency on items that does not
affect the consumers health-wise and financially to grow their business and help create a visible
process so that ease of doing business in improved.
 For these regards, the Indian Government provided some relaxations in the Companies Act,
2013 and LLP Act, 2008 during the covid times. Moreover, green tax exemptions can be set up
for companies that generates more sustainable products and various corporate social activities.
 Indian Government has made CSR compulsory for large companies and this creates a sense of
togetherness between the consumers and business.
 It also helps towards the upliftment of the rural community of India and helps business create
and understand a consumer ecosystem based on people’s needs across various sections.
Effect of Government policy in India across various years: