NEW DELHI: India’s economic output in 2021 is expected to remain below the levels of 2019, a report by a UN body said on Tuesday. The Social and Economic Survey of Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), undertaken by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific said the lockdown in India caused economic disruptions that burdened the second quarter of 2020.
“Despite a robust reduction in new Covid cases and the start of vaccine roll-out, India’s 2021 economic output is expected to remain below the 2019 level,” the report said. The report also stated that the pandemic will force another 89 million back into extreme poverty (persons earning less than Rs 145 or $1.9 per day). It noted that countries in the region, including India, will have a K-shaped recovery.