Original title: Indian epidemic hits manufacturing business confidence index drops sharply source: CCTV news client

Since last year, affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, it has been difficult for Indian manufacturing enterprises to survive. The second wave of the epidemic this year has made the operation of many enterprises even worse.

The latest survey by an authoritative organization in India shows that India's business confidence index has dropped sharply. Let's follow a reporter from the front desk to a factory in New Delhi, India to take a look at the production there. "

Front desk reporter:This is an industrial zone in the west of New Delhi. On May 31st the city government of New Delhi agreed to restart manufacturing activities. Darar's shoe factory has been here for 13 years. In the past year or so, because of COVID-19, there was almost no business in his factory. However, he still has to pay rent, water, electricity and staff wages every month, and the daily operation of the factory cost him a lot of money.

Dalar, head of a shoe factory in New Delhi:This is the first time I have no job to do.And there is no money to pay the workers.But although it is not possible to pay the workers full wages,But at least it can feed them.We thought January or FebruaryIndia's economy can get back on track.But now the COVID-19 epidemic is coming again.The economy has come to a complete standstillWe can only hope when the economy will get back on track.

Darard told reporters that the operation of the factory is currently in a state of semi-shutdown. Because the market is weak, raw materials are in short supply, and many workers return to their hometown, skilled workers cannot be recruited, all of which make it difficult to resume production.

Dalar, head of a shoe factory in New Delhi:Now there are only about 30% of the workers in the factory.There are 20 to 25 people at work.There used to be 70 to 75 workers working in our factory.The supply of raw materials is also out of supply.The trading market is also closed.What can we do?

Although the Indian government has introduced various policies to help small and medium-sized enterprises tide over their difficulties in terms of loans, taxes and so on, Dalar says he has not received any help from the government so far.

In fact, the state of this shoe factory run by Dalar is not rare in India. The latest survey by the Federation of Indian Industry and Commerce shows that India's manufacturing industry as a whole is very depressed. The business confidence index has fallen to 51.5 from 74.2. The survey report shows that the decline in people's desire for consumption, insufficient supply of raw materials and labor shortage have greatly affected the pace of recovery of the manufacturing industry. Affected by the second wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, more than 10 million people lost their jobs in India between April and May alone. A variety of adverse news has led to a continuous decline in the market business confidence index.

Due to the shortage of vaccines, the progress of vaccination in India has been slow. According to the survey, people in the Indian industry generally pin their hopes on economic recovery in India to achieve universal vaccination against COVID-19 by the end of the year.