New Delhi, March 17 -- When the covid-19 pandemic hit India in March 2020, and it became evident that it would be around for longer than first expected, the tech industry was excited about the digital transformation it would spark among individuals, businesses and the government.

Now, five years later, airports, malls and theatres are full again. Students are back at school and companies are whittling down work-from-home options. While the pandemic set in motion big changes, such as the chip wars, there is also a growing realisation that digital transformation is still constrained by real-world factors such as physical infrastructure, regulations, business models and economic logic.

Here are five areas where this has played out.

During...