Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
No shade for umbrella makers
Umbrellas, your guard against the scorching sun and heavy down pour may no longer suit your pocket, not in terms of the size but in monetary terms.
Forget about the colourful ad campaigns in which little stars jingled all the way to your hearts and homes making your little ones also long for umbrellas.
Gone are the days when the industry succeeded in creating a demand for umbrellas in the State, especially among the school children, through catchy advertisements, feel industrialists.
For the umbrellas that come in different colours and with several advanced features like UV-protection, "guarding your skin from harmful radiation'' as guaranteed by the manufacturers, the customer will have to shell out more, according to manufacturers.
They all blame the Union Finance Minister for pouring cold water on the aspirations of the umbrella manufacturers, who were facing the onslaught of the Chinese goods. Going by the arguments of the Kerala State Umbrella Manufacturers' Association, it would be the Kerala groups in the business that would be hit hard by this decision as they were already reeling under the 8 per cent sales tax slapped on the industry.
When the State Governments like Rajastan, Gujarat and Maharashtra have unfolded an umbrella of tax discounts for the manufacturers, here we are exposed to the elements, lamented the Association secretary, K.N. Marzook.
As the umbrella manufacturing is mostly done in small-scale units, which do not require power connection and will not cause environment pollution, the industry needs to be protected, says the Association vice-president, T.V. Scaria.
Unlike other industrial units, this is a business that depends mostly on the Rain God to survive and a stage has reached in which the blessings of the Rain God don't seem sufficient for protecting the industry, say the manufacturers.
By K.S Sudhi
Photo: H. Vibhu
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
|
