Bengaluru: Travel, retail sectors need government support

Bengaluru: Travel, tourism, retail and hospitality sectors are affected the most by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus and need financial support from the government, said information technology industry veteran Kris Gopalakrishan.

The co-founder of Infosys Ltd and former president of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) said IT companies would also be hit by the COVID-19 scare but they are financially strong and need support of a different kind.

"IT industry requires support from logistics. For example, work from home requires infrastructure support, there are reports of disruptions because of power cuts, proper internet bandwidth is not available at home; so, that's what's required," he said. "The IT companies are financially very strong", said Gopalakrishnan, who had served as CEO and MD of Infosys from 2007 to 2011, adding, financial support would be required for people in travel, tourism, hospitality and retail sectors.

"Lots of people dependent on taxi service are facing the impact because people are not at present using taxis. So, these are the sectors that will require immediate support. Even footfalls at retail shops and movie theatres have come down. These are the places where financial support is required from the government," he said.