European Couple Aims to Capture the Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship during the times of COVID-19 Pandemic: Indian-born Spanish writer and filmmaker Roshan Bhondekar along with his wife introduced a 'new era of journalism'

In the face of the global COVID-19 pandemic, entrepreneurs have to face a new reality: that it is not only a huge sanitary and health crisis affecting millions, of people across the world. This is also provoking an unprecedented downturn in the global economy.

The numbers are shattering. France had recorded its biggest fall in GDP - 5.8% - since 1949 in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, in the USA, the numbers unemployed or underemployed have now passed 40 million. This reveals the breakability of economies and fundamentals. The government, public health and economic responses are hugely different if you are an entrepreneur based in USA or in Europe. As business founders, you will also need very different action plans in place depending on your sector and industry.

Many of us are going through a difficult time this year. Every crisis brings challenges and threats to entrepreneurs and their organizations, no matter if initiated by human behaviour, natural disasters, or economic mechanisms. At the end of December 2019, the coronavirus has started spreading from Wuhan, China to other countries so widely and quickly. Many aspects of private and public life had to be moved online. Entrepreneurs were not an exception. They had to start moving their business activities online. However, not everything could be solved conveniently online. This is how Indian-born Spanish Roshan Bhondekar and his wife Sahra Ardah has taken COVID-19 Pandemic positively to redefine the era of journalism.

COVID-19 has significantly influenced the entrepreneurial engagement of self-employed persons. Some entrepreneurs had to close their businesses temporarily as a result of governmental restrictions; others had to impose precautions and to run their activities to a reduced extent. They also needed to find innovative solutions in all aspects of their entrepreneurial endeavour as the consequences of the pandemic linger on

Therefore, this couple aims to capture the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on entrepreneurship at different kinds of levels, to accumulate knowledge of best individual and journalism best practices helping freelance journalist and mass communication Interns to overcome the crisis.

How COVID-19 Pandemic offered them an opportunity to define Entrepreneurship

This multitalented artistic couple decided to bring the unseen voice from different parts of continents, whereas their mission is to have 'Independent & Unbiased voice' on a global platform. In June 2020, Roshan and Sahra announced the launch of Spain based 'Transcontinental Times' through Twitter.

"We never thought this year 2020 will be different for us, but while having an impact on every industry, we thought to do something for 'Journalism/mass communication college students' and 'freelance journalist', who are looking for international free voice platform to highlight to ground reality and talk in favour of democracy. As of today, Transcontinental Times has a team of 70 plus journalists, joining us from 25 plus countries covering various continents ground-level issues," Says Bhondekar. Besides this, Sahra told, "Transcontinental Times is now working with non-profit model and in future, it will be profitable for sure, as we are firmly committed to the public interest and democratic values. Being on the internet also means using a new way of Journalism to change the way stories are told." Swwapnil Joshi, a renowned film actor has also shared his greetings on this Bhondekar's new mission

A renowned film producer also joins his hand on this announcement

https://twitter.com/akshayent/status/1278919037284569089

The brain behind the mission

Roshan Bhondekar was born in India but settled in Spain- this is exactly how letters, if any, would be addressed to this 'simple town boy' a decade ago. From his 300-sq feet home that housed six people to a plush new address in Spain, Bhondekar has made it big and how.

The how is where this man's entire story lies. Now an author of two successful books, director of two international award-winning short films, and a writer, Bhondekar is an engineer by profession. "Belonging to a poor family, as kids, we would struggle for two-time meals and that has been my strongest trigger in life to do something unique," says the 33-year-old who lived in his Tumsar home up to the age of 26.

Sahra Ardah (also known as Sara Canizal Sardon) is an art director and producer, known for The Shoes (2019), a professional international artist and teacher of Spanish descent recognized internationally for the effectiveness of her teaching methods. As she mentioned, "being a Ph.D. holder in History of Art and Journalism Master Honours, I wanted to serve the best to the society. Education gives us the confidence to do the right things for society what we think."

In December 2018, Sahra married Roshan. She published the first book, named 'The University of Salamanca from the post-war period to the present: Architectural heritage and urban transcendence" (Spanish Edition).

With virus containment likely to persist in many parts of the globe, we'll see for sure new ways of life producing new needs, which will in turn create new opportunities for entrepreneurs. Some new business models, new strategy around dematerialization, will have to be invented.