NEW DELHI – The virulent second Covid-19 wave that is wreaking havoc in India is prompting consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, prioritise their health, shop online, and buy only essential goods, a trend that could take months to normalise, according to companies. Consumers in India have once again turned to “cautious consumption”, Deloitte said on Wednesday after it released findings of a 30-day global consumer survey. Indians accounted for the most number of people who reported feeling anxious during the second wave, among 18 countries surveyed by Deloitte. “Spending intent shows consumers are focusing more on non-discretionary items as compared with the previous waves of the survey. About 48% consumers show net spending intent towards healthcare, 33% towards medicines, 42% towards internet, 47% towards groceries, and 44% towards household goods, indicating that consumers want to focus on non-discretionary spends in the time of crisis,” Deloitte said.