India's Maharashtra shuts most manufacturing, restricts e-commerce to fight COVID-19

MUMBAI: India's richest state Maharashtra will impose stringent curbs on industry and e-commerce for 15 days to slow rising coronavirus infections, its chief minister said on Tuesday, a move that is set to cripple manufacturing and other businesses in the region.

Maharashtra - home to India's financial capital Mumbai - has been the country's worst hit state due to the coronavirus, accounting for about a quarter of India's 13.5 million cases. On Tuesday, Maharashtra reported 60,212 new COVID-19 infections.  On Tuesday, state chief minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered most establishments and public places will be closed in the state except those which are deemed essential, including grocery shops, hospitals, banks and stock exchanges.