Some shops and businesses opened in rural India on April 20 as part of a staggered exit from a weeks-long lockdown that has left millions out of work and short of food, while coronavirus infections rose by more than 1,500 over the previous day.

Small businesses reopened in the rural parts of most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, after the lockdown in late March but police were deployed to ensure people maintained social distancing.

"The focus is on select industries and farming, and rural employment guarantee program," said Punya Salila Srivastava, a joint secretary at the home ministry which is managing the re-start of the economy.

Around 4,000 factories resumed operations in western Gujarat, one of the country's most industrialized regions, the chief minister's office said.

President of the Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) Sangita Reddy on Friday welcomed the fresh measures announced by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to ensure enough liquidity in the economy.

The economic measures were announced to boost especially the farming activity, small businesses and refinancing institutions. These measures were mainly aimed at helping the farming community as harvest season is going on, particularly in north India.

Meanwhile, India's Federal Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said Monday that te flight restrictions that were in place as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak would only be lifted after the spread of the virus is controlled. 

"I want to once again say that flight restrictions that are in place as a result of India's fight against COVID-19 will be lifted once we are confident that the spread of the virus has been controlled and it poses no danger to our country and people," Puri wrote on twitter. 

India is currently reeling under a lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown was announced on March 25 and has been extended until May 3. 

All road, rail and air services have been suspended in wake of the lockdown, except for essential services which are exempted. 

Details released by the federal health ministry Monday morning showed the death toll due to COVID-19 in India rose to 543 and the total cases have reached 17,265.  

A re-assessment in the Indian capital would be done after a week, following which the final decision would be taken regarding lifting, or continuing with, the restrictions, said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

(With input from Xinhua, Reuters)