Delhi lockdown weighs heavily on local business

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, April 27

Lockdown in Delhi and Maharashtra has adversely impacted several local businesses, which are dependent for getting raw materials and selling their finished products there.

Akshit Seth, a shawl manufacturer, said the development ruined their trade of un-stitched cotton women suits. He said about 500 shuttle-less looms were engaged in manufacturing this garment, which is sold to dealers in Delhi, who further sell these in the rest of the country.

He said the surge in positive cases in the second wave of Covid-19 has changed the priority of people, who were more focused in spending on essential commodities and healthcare.

Ajay Mehra, a warp-knitting manufacturer, said nearly 90 per cent units engaged in rolling out warp knitting fabric, have temporarily closed their operations in the wake of lockdown in Maharashtra and Delhi, besides, elections in West Bengal. The warp knitting industry of the holy city has nearly Rs2,000 crore annual turnover and it receives yarn from Gujarat and Rajasthan and then sell their finished product mainly to West Bengal followed by Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Hyderabad.