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How India Inc's business continuity plans are being overhauled to tide over the coronavirus crisis

- E. Kumar Sharma

In January, Blue Star, a maker of air conditioners, air purifiers and water coolers, set up what Chairman Shailesh Haribhakti calls the “information war room”, a place where half-a-dozen people feed in data, which is then accessed by the company’s key decision-makers. The aim was to track movement of every ship from China to make sure the company is in a good position in terms of supplies as soon as factories reopen. Like most manufacturers who depend on China for critical parts, Blue Star, says Haribhakti, “gets a lot of compressor parts from China. So, it is very important for us to monitor their availability.” Going ahead, the war room will be an integral part of the company’s business continuity planning, he adds.

Business continuity planning – the process involved in creating a system of prevention and recovery from potential threats – has assumed a central role as India Inc. looks to restart operations post the lockdown imposed to check the spread of coronavirus. The aim of the planning is to ensure that personnel and assets are able to function quickly in the event of a disaster. Business Today spoke to a range of leaders from different sectors, including automobile, information technology (IT), fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), consumer durables, milk, pharmaceuticals, healthcare and education about how they plan to keep their businesses safe from future disasters. The virus seems to have taught companies a lot about components that every business continuity plan must incorporate.

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