ASSOCHAM study says anti-cracker campaigns hitting business
BHOPAL: Banning import and sale of Chinese firecrackers has had little or no effect on domestically-made crackers as traders across major cities report poor business owing to anti-cracker campaigns run by schools, resident welfare associations (RWAs) and others said an ASSOCHAM survey-cum-analysis.
The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) interacted with firecracker wholesalers, retailers and traders in 10 cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Chennai, Dehradun, Delhi, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Lucknow and Mumbai to gauge the enthusiasm and demand for firecrackers together with impact of ban on Chinese crackers across India.
“It is not just Chinese firecrackers but multiple factors like growing environmental awareness, rising cost of living, growing tendency amid people to save their hard-earned money rather than spoiling it on burning crackers, paucity of time, traffic congestions during festive period and others have together dented this business over the years,” said majority of 250 firecracker traders in aforesaid cities that ASSOCHAM representatives interacted with during the course of past 25 days.
Most of the traders said they have seen a sharp decline of about 20 per cent year-on-year basis for the past five years.
Hundreds of units in Sivakasi (TN) have shut shop owing to intense campaigns and growing sales of China-made crackers over the years. It is estimated that about 30,000 people have lost their livelihood, the report said.
There are about 800 licensed firecracker making units in Sivakasi where this industry has a turnover of over Rs 2,500 crore. The business has been facing heat from Chinese imports that have grown by leaps and bounds during past few years.
