How unlocking bicycle sector's potential can help India's underprivileged

The world might emerge from the Covid pandemic riding on bicycles, says Jagdish Khattar. India has a chance to lead the pack

Motorised transport has outpaced bicycles in more ways than just on the road. Over the last 20 years, sales of cars and motorcycles grew by more than 15 per cent a year, while that of bicycles crawled at 3 per cent.
 
This forces some 200 million people to settle for employment within walking distance, hampering their aspirations for growth and income. But we will come to that in a moment. First, let’s look at the other contrasts between motorised transport and bicycles.
 
In the 1970s and 1980s, the automotive industry was concentrated in just a few pockets in