Online interviews with women entrepreneurs to assess COVID-19 impact

The pandemic has impacted a large section of the population including workers, wage earners, employees and entrepreneurs. In order to understand and analyse the impact the pandemic has brought on to the small and large scale businesses, the Public Financial Management (PFM) team conducted in-depth interviews with some women entrepreneurs and their family members to disucss the impact of COVID-19 in their lives and work.  

The team undertook in-depth interviews telephonically and through Skype/Zoom as per the convenience of the respondents. The interviews were recorded with prior approval and informed consent of the respondent and transcribed for analysis purpose. The data has been stored securely and shared with the client and it shows the barriers they have encountered compounded by the virus ad its knock-on effects. These entrepreneurs are now pivoting and adjusting their business models while anticipating the need for changes and re-adjustments in the future.

COVID-19

Our Teams Respond

Ms Arti Ahuja

Arti Ahuja

Director

Retired from the Indian Administrative Services, Ms Ahuja has over 34 years of experience in administration, policy formulation, project management, and leadership across the public sector. Her expertise spans health systems, nutrition, women’s workforce participation, vulnerable populations, petrochemicals, and social sector programs. She has held several senior positions in the Government of India, including Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, where she led reforms to strengthen worker welfare and represented India at the G20 Employment Working Group; Secretary, Ministry of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, where she initiated the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme; and Secretary, Women & Child Development, where she directed large-scale nutrition and empowerment initiatives, strengthening the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS). As Secretary of Health, Government of India she played a pivotal role in India’s COVID-19 response, launched the National Digital Health Mission, and advanced national programs on TB and AIDS control. She continues to advise on gender, climate change, and nutrition, contributes to national and international publications, and teaches public policy and nutrition at leading academic institutions. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from the Harvard School of Public Health; Master’s in Public Policy from Princeton University; Master’s in Economics (Gold Medallist) from Panjab University, and is a Bachelor of Law from the University of Delhi.

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