Chinese decorative lights flood markets ahead of Diwali

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 15

People prefer to buy cheap Chinese decorative lights ahead of Diwali season, ignoring quality parameters set by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) because locally manufactured products are expensive and lack aesthetics.  

Shopkeepers at the Phagwara Gate electrical market in Jalandhar are selling made-in-China decorative lights with no clue about the BIS mark. They, however, caution customers, saying “purchase Chinese products at your risk, these will neither be returned nor replaced,” said retail market experts.

The influx of Chinese electrical decoration items has jeopardised the local units in the region, including in Ambala, Panipat, Sonepat, Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar. The rampant sale of Chinese chandeliers and LED bulb chains fitted with electronic flasher units is affecting thousands of people working in local micro industrial units adversely.  

“People prefer Chinese products because of their better finish, low cost and variety. Customers see both Indian and Chinese products, but ultimately go for Chinese,” said a Chandigarh-based wholesale trader.

“Mostly, Chinese products are not BIS approved,” Bharat Kakria, owner of INDYA Lights and ex-president of Jalandhar Electrical Merchants Welfare Association said. He said the demonetisation in November 2016 and implementation of GST in July 2017 had also affected the local manufacturing of decorative lights adversely. A Chinese chain of 100 rice bulbs or LEDs can be retailed between Rs 40 and Rs 100 whereas BIS-approved lights are costlier, he added.

Besides quality and scale of production, Indian manufacturers also fail to match their Chinese counterparts in adaptability.

According to the owner of Omkar Electrical, local shopkeepers buy these items in bulk from Chandni Chowk, Delhi. When the government allows import of these Chinese products, then it should not restrict local retailers from selling these items, he added.

Some shops sell chandeliers that cost up to Rs 10,000. While these are designed in Italy, the Chinese manufacturers copy them in China and sell the same in markets like India, said traders. “From electrical wiring to steel coating, each and every raw material used is Chinese,” said a trader.  

“Customers want Indian stuff. We also want to sell Indian products. But we have no alternative. Indian companies can’t match the Chinese quality, quantity and pricing. Both buyers and sellers know this fact,” another trader said. Chinese have captured the Indian market with their remarkable marketing strategies. They do not leave any opportunity, particularly any festive season to promote their products, said a Delhi-based retailer.