The first wave of the Covid pandemic saw us facing acute shortages of masks, personal protective equipment, and sanitisers, with even toilet paper disappearing from store shelves. But the Indian small manufacturers seized the opportunity and by the end of last year, we had enough PPE and masks to even export the surplus to other countries. Though we rationed even the lowly surgical masks, people did not hoard or black market any of these. But it gave people the knowledge of what would be required and would be in short supply if the second wave struck. And so started the pandemic profiteering business.