Ahead of Independence Day, flag sales dip in Mumbai over social distancing

MUMBAI: If you don't see a surfeit of national flags in the city this Independence Day, blame it on the Covid-19-induced lockdown. Flag manufacturers said that the sale of the Tricolor was down due to a couple of reasons, including the social distancing norms that prevent people from assembling for flag hoisting ceremonies and also the lack of workers at workshops.
Gyan Shah who runs the Flag Corporation at Byculla said that the demand for the Tricolor for this August 15 is up to 80% lesser than last year's. "Many housing societies which used to order national flags for the August 15 ceremony are not holding the function this year. Due to social distancing norms, many people will avoid assembling in groups to celebrate August 15 and, therefore, flags are not in huge demand this year," said Shah whose father had started a shop in 1966.
In March this year, as the lockdown began, two of his four tailors left for their hometowns. "Though the demand is low, we had to bring two tailors back to Mumbai. We booked a flight ticket for one tailor from Uttar Pradesh as he was not getting his berth on the train reserved," added Shah who also supplies flags to some high-end stores.
Among the monumental flags Shah's company has supplied is the one at the Bandra-Worli sea link which measures 20 feet by 30feet.
Dalbir Singh Negi, whose the Flag Company at its Andheri office used to get huge orders around this time in previous years, said that the sale is down to 30% of last year. "Out of the total sale that we have made, 40% was done online. However, the sale of monumental flags, from Srinagar to Kerala, is steady," said Negi whose factory at Naigaon prints around 23,000 sqft flags per day. "My workers didn't leave the city during the lockdown because we provide them food and shelter. But we hope that business will pick up once the situation normalizes," he said.
The national flag at the highest place in the city, and arguably in the country, is at the Haj House near Crawford Market. "The 20 foot by 30 foot flag is perched nearly 350 feet above the ground and is changed every month. Except four months in the year when rains and wind are strong, it is flying all the time and one flag costs us Rs 25,000," said Haj Committee of India chief executive officer M A Khan.