'Indians among most optimistic for return to pre-Covid normal'

New Delhi/Geneva: Indians are among the most optimistic globally in terms of their expectations for a return to pre-COVID normal, with over 70 per cent expecting it to happen in less than a year, a new study said on Monday.

Importantly, the survey was conducted just before the COVID-19 pandemic was seen moving towards a new peak in India and some other countries.

The survey, conducted by global market research major Ipsos for the World Economic Forum (WEF) with a sample size of over 21,000 globally between February 19 and March 5, showed that Indians were the most optimistic (24 per cent) on expectations for the 'return to normal' happening in within 1-3 months and also for it to happen in 3-6 months (21 per cent).

Besides, a further 23 per cent of Indians said they expect a return to pre-COVID normal in 6-12 months, but people from several countries, including Saudi Arabia, China and Brazil, scored better on this timeframe.

An estimated 15 per cent of Indian respondents said they expect the return to normal to take more than 12 months, 6 per cent said it would never happen and for 11 per cent it was already the case.