Bane for China, corona turns out to be a boon for desi pichkari makers

Nagpur: Corona virus impact has brought an opportunity for Indian manufacturers this Holi season. As the virus outbreak has hampered trade from China, even imports of pichkaris (water gun) and other items sold during Holi have been hit. This has given a chance to Indian manufacturers to take over the market that was traditionally dominated by Chinese players.
However, traders down the chain are apprehensive that the scare and calls to tone down celebrations by the government agencies may hit their business for the coming two days.
The market that was dominated by Chinese products since nearly last ten years has been largely replaced by Indian items this festive season, say local traders. “This did not happen overnight, but certainly coronavirus was a major reason,” said bulk dealers here.
“The process began three years ago and finally as the imports have taken a hit due to the outbreak, nearly 90% of the market has made in India goods,” said Ashok Sanghvi of M/s Modern Rakhi Bhandar, a bulk trading firm in seasonal festive items at Itwari. “The Indian players have managed to meet the rate and the quality of the Chinese manufacturers,” he said.
Sanghvi said, “Even before the corona outbreak, the traders here were facing hassles in procuring Chinese items due to procedural issues from the Customs’ side. Three years ago, the traders approached toy manufacturers in Delhi to take up the production of Holi items too. The units began procuring dyes to make the goods. Till last Holi, as much as 70% of the supply was Indian and now it is 90%.” Colours continue to come from Hathras town in Uttar Pradesh, which is the major hub, he said.
Retail traders, on the other hand, said the stockists having Chinese items are trying to take advantage of the situation and have jacked the prices. The corona scare is barely two months old the but the stocks are piled up even before that. “Given the sentiment, the local stockists have hiked the rates by 20% to 40%,” said retailers.
“Sales are not down despite the strictures related to safety measures. However, the Chinese items are not available as much as they were last year. In general, the rates have gone up by 40%,” said Kishore Jaikalyani of M/s Kishore General Stores in Gokulpeth.
A little away at M/s Pankaj Stores, the shopkeeper said the sales are nearly half of the last year. “We used to get creative designs of water guns from China apart from masks and wigs. Such items are in short supply. We have simple pichkaris from Indian suppliers. The rates of both the items are up but sales are down,” he said.
The balloons used for filling water come from China. “As against 50 a packet, it is being sold at Rs80 by the wholesalers this season,” added a shopkeeper nearby.