Estimates of the size of the Indian middle class range between 200 and 600 million.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, NEW DELHI – Ram Babu moved from his village to the Indian capital New Delhi in 1980 to become a car washer. He soon learned to drive and got a job as a tour bus driver. Decades later he managed to found his own company, Madhubani Tours and Travels.
In March 2020, a strict national quarantine to combat the coronavirus pandemic froze economic activity overnight. Babu’s business collapses and sends his family back to their village.
“We haven’t earned a single rupee since March last year. My three buses haven’t moved in over a year. We are completely devastated, “said Babu.
India’s economy is on the verge of recovering from the shock of the first pandemic as a new wave of infections hit the country. The second wave infected millions and killed hundreds of thousands, forcing many to stay home.
Cases are now receding, but the outlook for many Indians is dramatically worse. Because jobs are disappearing, incomes shrinking and inequality is increasing.
Number: AP
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