Sky is not the limit for traders as aerial cracker sale shoots up

According to Gunasingh Chelladurai, one of the shareholders in Standard Fireworks, aerial crackers have attracted a new generation of revellers. As these are considered comparatively harmless than the conventional ones, they are the most sought after ones among many customers nowadays. It produces noise at less than 70 decibels, which is much below the permissible limits. These fireworks light up the sky in a dazzling range of colours at a minimum of thirty-foot height. 

There are several kinds of aerial shots right from single shot to multiple shots. Fancy pyrotechnics entered the Indian market way back in 1989 when a group of companies in Sivakasi signed an MoU with China. Initially, less than a hundred varieties were available in the market. After its demand shot up, there are around 300 varieties with multiple stages available now, Chelladurai told DT Next. 

M Elangovan, general secretary, Federation of Tamil Nadu Fireworks Traders, said the sale is picking up steam after Pooja holidays. For consumers, price is not a matter of concern, but are curious to know what is new this year. Aerial fireworks are fast-moving items, with prices ranging from Rs 100 for a single shot to Rs 2,500 for a 240 multi-shot. This season, the sale was affected by about 30 to 40 per cent in the northern states, but the demand remained as usual in Tamil Nadu, which is witnessing a steady growth, he said. 

T Ganeshan from Sivakasi, a retail trader, said the ban on manufacturing joint crackers prompted many revellers to buy aerial crackers that are priced between Rs 120 and Rs 8,600. Normally, 40 per cent of the sale is contributed by joint crackers and the rest includes one sound cracker such as ‘atom bomb’, ‘Lakshmi vedi’, ‘Kuruvi vedi’, ‘rockets’, and items preferred by children such as ‘sparklers’, ‘ground chakkars’, ‘flower pots’ and ‘pencils’. 

Cracker manufacturers and traders thanked Chief Minister MK Stalin for taking up their cause with his counterparts in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and Odisha, and requesting them to lift the ban on cracker sales. Following this, Rajasthan had lifted the ban much to the delight of the industry here.