Mumbai : A campaign on social media has been started to create awareness about influx of China-made fire crackers in the Indian market, which are giving Indian manufactures a run for their money.
China-made firecrackers are being openly sold under the banner of Indian companies at heavy discounts in Bhendi Bazar. The packets of these products have the name of popular fire-cracker manufacturing companies from India. The names of these fire-crackers are put on the packet in a combination that suggests a ‘technical collaboration’ between Chinese and Indian company.
These products are popular with the consumers as they are readily available at a highly subsidised rates. Also, some products such as ‘pocket bombs’ from China are in huge demand. Hanif Khan, one such fire-crackers seller at Muhammad Ali Road said, “Customers ask for China products as they are cheaper and the quality is better. They also have a larger variety.”
The products allow the sellers to give heavy discounts or as ‘wholesale’ which is otherwise not possible on the Indian products that come with a fixed Market Retail Price (MRP).
Another shopkeeper from Bhendi Bazar said, “If sparklers (Phool Jhadi) made by Indian industries is available at Rs. 350, the same Chinese product is available at Rs.270. It leaves a heavy margin for us to give the consumers some discount.”
There is no price mentioned on the products and are sold at the rate told by the seller which is under any condition less than the original Indian products.
The Chinese products are cheaper as they are made by using potassium chlorate that is banned in India, whereas no such ban exists in China. The Indian manufactures use potassium nitrate (price Rs 70 per kg) and aluminium powder (Rs 250 per kg) whereas the potassium chlorates used by the Chinese costs just Rs 25 kg, the campaign on the social media against the China-made crackers informs people and appeals them to boycott them.
Kishor Birwadkar, a resident of Agripada, said, “These Chinese products are substantially cheaper but the quality is not good. I bought them due to the discounted rate but there is often problem lighting them. Once again I bought the Indian products which, though expensive, are of a superior quality.”
