Chennai: Cracker manufacturers of Sivakasi have stopped producing the products fearing intrusion of cheap substandard Chinese crackers into the Indian market. After representation to the Union commerce ministry, the government has sensitised the issue, but in the meantime north Indian traders have reduced their annual orders this year by 30 per cent, according to Tamil Nadu Fireworks and Amorces Manufacturers’ Association (TANFAMA) president G. Abiruben.
Usually, there is a last minute manufacturing spree after July that continues for the next few months, but this year production and sale related to the Rs 6,000 crore cracker industry in Sivakasi has taken a beating, he said.
While traders in Sivakasi admit that sale of crackers through online has been gradually increasing by two to three per cent over the past three years, but rue that the overall sale has been dipping by more than five per cent every year due to various factors like high input cost, tax and intrusion of cheap substandard Chinese crackers. “The profit between the manufacturers and dealers is around 15 to 20 per cent and now portals buying crackers will be the new dealers for Sivakasi” explains S. Khader, a trader on Bunder Street.
Commenting on online sale of crackers, Abiruben says the response is good in recent times, but the impact of online cracker sales can be assessed only after Deepavali. Meanwhile, at least 10 big online portal companies mostly based in South India are now racing against each other to make a quick buck in the new product sector. Big discounts up to 50 per cent and free home delivery before November 7 are the other advertisements promoted online.
To make this Deepavali greener, we plant a tree on your behalf for every purchase of crackers reads an advertisement promoted by an online portal selling crackers this Deepavali.
S. Akash, who works for an online portal based in Bangalore said customers will have more real time to select and purchase crackers of their choice through online portal. However there are other voices when it comes to purchase of crackers. “Crackers are mostly bought to entertain kids. There is nothing like taking your child out on the eve of Deepavali and buying crackers of their choice, so online crackers sale on any day will be a less preferred choice” says father of two R. Nandagopal of Purasawalkam.
