Cashing in on coronavirus: Fear economy shoots up masks, sanitisers demand

As the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic spreads across India, marketplaces are seeing large and small players scrambling to cash in

The ‘sin economy’ trade thrives on tobacco, liquor and gambling, and ‘good times economy’ posits the same for celebrations, festivities and dining. But as the coronavirus epidemic spreads across India, marketplaces are seeing large and small players scrambling to cash in on what can be labelled as the ‘fear economy.’ 

This mainly includes respiratory and surgical masks, sanitisers and sterile wipes. Also, small and big medical players, making thermal temperature gauging devices, are sensing an opportunity and jumping to capitalise on them.

Household hand-sanitisers have historically been made by players like UK-based Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Dettol, and industrial-grade