Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week. This special series of compilations focuses on India’s COVID-19 struggle (see last week’s post here). Share these quotes and excerpts with your networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

The pandemic tried and tested us as human beings. Nobody had expected to be locked up for one-and-a-half years. - Abhishek Kapoor, 'Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui'

The impact of the pandemic was felt most by the vulnerable sections of the society. - Anirban Chakraborti, BML Munjal University

Without a dedicated and continued focus on diversity, equity and inclusion across the business, we will see a repeat of the backward steps taken during COVID-19 on gender disparity. - Yvonne Teo, ADP

When times were uncertain, it was very difficult to try and convince people to be optimistic, happy and shop when the general environment during the pandemic is demotivating. - Rhea Bhattacharya, Drawn

The pandemic created a new and ever-growing demand to create awareness and find solutions — a need to create a more ‘savvy’ community. - Jaisal Kothari, Savvy

Wildlife photographers and filmmakers love to be in the field, and in that respect, the last two years have been tough. - Rohit Varma, Nature inFocus

During COVID-19, the younger population that was highly impacted by the disastrous health results of the pandemic soon understood that insurance is an important financial protection. - Harshit Shetty, GrowFitter

During the COVID-19 induced lockdown in the country, migrant workers in many cities were coming online and buying used two-wheelers. The lack of public transportation led these people to buy [these used vehicles] to go back to their hometown. - Sasidhar Nandigam, CredR

The pandemic has allowed more one-on-one time without the distraction of a hundred other things, so use it wisely. - Srikripa Srinivasan, Dell

This past year has taught me that life is very unpredictable, and that I have to be diverse in thinking to move forward. - Shivani Singhania, I Am For You

Embracing pre-loved fashion and sustainable consumption has been a steady movement and it gained pace, especially among the Indian youth during the pandemic. - Manish Chandra, Poshmark

COVID-19 became the biggest push for digitisation. - Anand Bang, TMF

Amid the pandemic, the volume and sophistication of cyber threats and data breaches grew at a rapid pace and the biggest victim of these cyber threats have been vulnerable SMEs and startups. - Kalidas KS, Tata Teleservices

The pandemic, in many ways has accelerated the adoption of new technologies. For example, there is a wider adoption of cloud-based accounting software, as well as a move toward automation and artificial intelligence. - Jay Desai, KYA

During the pandemic, we saw a massive adoption of digital channels, which became the primary engagement model. - Tamer Shabani, Microsoft

While data analysis was increasingly becoming important in the past few years, the pandemic has accelerated the demand for data management as companies try to cut losses and improve efficiency. - Tebogo Mogaleemang, Spectrum Analytics

The two iterations of the lockdown have resulted in a major facelift to India’s rising digital consumerism. - Siddharth Maurya

After COVID-19, there was a huge surge in online orders which acted as a boost for small/medium e-commerce brands across the country. The pandemic also led to the emergence of several D2C brands. - Gaurav Mangla, Pickrr

L&D teams have to adapt to new formats of training. Hybrid and remote work models require a digital approach to training. - Sudhakar Balakrishnan, FirstMeridian Business Services

2020 and 2021 have undoubtedly been an accelerator for technology. Today, with tech-powered operations, logistics continues to be one of the fastest-growing industries despite the pandemic disruptions. - Saahil Goel, Shiprocket

TAAS platforms are working with bus operators-partners across India to build a connected bus network for digital booking, contactless payments, and contactless boarding features in the post-COVID world. - Amit Gupta GoGo Bus

Appointment booking apps are a common sight now, especially after the COVID-19 Pandemic. - Rohit Sharma, Zini.ai

Today, digital technologies are redesigning classrooms. Integration of advanced tech into the educational curriculum ensures children learn and build new skills. - Payal Gaba, BeyondSkool

During COVID, when the chips were down, it is the chipsets that kept us going. - Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Jio

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).