CII conducts the CEO poll on exiting the lockdown with 250 CEOs

CNBC-TV18 conducted the CNBCTV18 - CII CEO Poll that surveyed 250 of the country’s leading CEOs. As major industries reel in the effects of the lockdown, the extensive survey poll on the lockdown, deep dived into the post-lockdown actions from some of the biggest names of India. Offering an industry perspective, the survey provided a clear picture regarding multiple areas that concern the Indian economy and business operations at large.

The special show featured the likes of Rajnish Kumar — Chairman, State Bank of India, Zarin Daruwala — CEO, Standard Chartered Bank, India,  Hari S Bhartia —Former President, CII, Founder and Co-Chairman, Jubilant Bhartia Group and Chandrajit Banerjee — Director General, CII offering their respective views on the significant discoveries of the poll, thereby commenting on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the nation.

The comprehensive survey encompassed 15 questions asked to 250 CEOs across various sectors. The findings revealed that 76.8% of head honchos felt that it is time to move to a calibrated exit from the national lockdown whereas 85.9% believed that a graded exit will be beneficial.

Even as several companies have started laying off their staff and imposed salary cuts, 71.2% still opined that layoffs are not imminent in their organizations, however with 34.1% leaning towards looming wage cuts.

On being asked as to when will businesses return to normal, 54.4% said they expected operations to return to normal by anywhere between six months to a year, while 29.2% opined it could take more than a year.

While 33.5% felt that the recovery will look convoluted, 28.6% said it will recover with a positive trajectory, however, 25% expected a very minimum recovery.

Overall, one of the major findings of the poll indicated that about 50.6% of India’s CEOs expect their company’s top line to fall by more than 25% in this FY.

With the nationwide lockdown being extended for another two weeks, the movement of people, as well as the economy, continues to face severe limitations and restrictions.

The show, featuring eminent experts that have helped decode the key findings of this poll, has served the purpose of informing viewers of the current market scenario, the lessons learned, and what the future has in store of the Indian economy.