• GDP
  • Global Financial Crisis
  • Corporate Profitability
  • Economy
  • GDP Growth
  • CRISIL Research Impact Note
April 30, 2020

Viral fever: Covid-19 impact on economy, corporate revenue and profitability

Key messages

  • Base-case GDP growth expected at 1.8% for fiscal 2021. Assumptions include effect of the pandemic subsiding materially in April-June quarter, a normal monsoon, and minimum fiscal support of Rs 3.5 lakh crore
  • Risks tilted towards the downside scenario of zero GDP growth
  • Permanent loss of ~4% of real GDP. Fiscal 2022 likely to see a V-shaped recovery at over 7% real GDP growth. However, its sustenance will not be able to lift GDP volume to its trend path even by 2024
  • Large swathes of informal workforce of India are vulnerable to deep slowdown, particularly in construction, manufacturing and services sector
  • External vulnerability likely to be low, with current account deficit (CAD) projected at 0.2% of GDP and forex reserves adequate, but domestic vulnerability rising. A risk-off scenario will, however, keep currency volatile
  • Agricultural sector could be the bright spot as a bumper winter crop (rabi) is being harvested. But it will need support via fiscal measures aimed at reducing labour constraints, input provision and logistics support
  • States accounting for 33% of population and 41% of national output are most at risk from Covid-19
  • Fiscal support will need to be upped at the central and state level in scale and scope to go beyond vulnerable households and cover vulnerable firms as well