This report documents the impact of one year of Covid-19 in India, on jobs, incomes,
inequality, and poverty. It also examines the effectiveness of policy measures that
have thus far been undertaken to offer relief and support. Finally, it offers some policy
suggestions for the near and medium-term future.
When the pandemic hit, the Indian economy was already in the most prolonged
slowdown in recent decades. On top of this, there were legacy problems such as a slow
rate of job creation and lack of political commitment to improving working conditions
which trapped a large section of the workforce without access to any employment
security or social protectio