In a financial crisis, is it better to buy individual stocks to capitalize or invest in ETFs if you have no time to do research?

I would think in the case, if time is not on your side, an ETF would be a viable option for you. It's kinda "auto-diversified" for you, so you just got to identify the kind/industry of ETF that you have the most knowledge and conviction on.

If you have enough capital, you can buy blue-chip stocks in a financial crisis and that will help to capitalise.

Buf if you have no time to do research, then ETFs are a all-weather-type of investment that you can do all-year round. :) Go for monthly ETFs to save yourself the hassle too!

I would just go into ETFs/UTs. As long as it is diversified, I reduce concentration risk and will be banking on the whole market recovering in order to make my gains. I would deploy my war chest in batches though, since you never know when the market reaches the lowest point.

If you have no time to research, it is ETFs. After all in a market upcycle, majority of the stocks in the ETFs will also benefit from the upcycle.