‘China Bazaars’ Turns Into ‘Indian Bazaars’

Hyderabad: The India-China stand-off in Galwan Valley is reflecting upon the business of several local shops here, popular as China Bazaars and selling cheap Chinese products.

The Valley stand-off, which has spurred a ‘Boycott Chinese products’ trend across the country, has seen business falling by at least 50 per cent for these shops.

Begum Bazaar, which houses hundreds of shops selling Chinese products, is witnessing sales in these shops dropping sharply, with traders, who were already hit hard by the lockdown, now slipping further deep into financial misery.

The Chinese products sold here include cosmetics, gift items, watches, bags, belts, luggage, electronics, apparel, kitchen items, toys and footwear among others, sold at around 50 per cent lesser rates than what other shops sell the similar items for. The trend has forced the traders to think of getting rid of the existing stock and avoiding further stocking of Chinese products.

“Most of the stock is already over in our store. We just want to sell the existing stock and from now on, store local products. We have always been against Chinese products, but we were selling them for our livelihood. We will happily sell Indian products if dealers provide them at reasonable costs,” said Ashok Kumar, a trader at Raj Party Shop.

Traders in the busy Aziz Plaza at Begum Bazaar, say dealers and suppliers have to stop ordering Chinese products and go for local goods. There is a need to reduce dependence on China for goods, which has been the trend for several decades, they add.

Hundreds of China Bazaars across the city, which sell all essential products for domestic needs, are changing their names to ‘Indian Bazaar’. Already China Bazaars in SR Nagar and Banjara Hills have changed their boards announcing that they are ‘Indian’ not just by nationality and spirit but by name as well from now on.

The Hyderabad General Merchants Association has instructed its wholesalers to stop ordering Chinese products and to change their names to Indian Bazaars. The Association has also decided not to sell Chinese products.

Sriram Vyas, president of the association, said there was no purchase of Chinese products since December as Covid-19 had already spread in China by that time. “More than 70 per cent of the stock was sold in January-March and we will finish the existing stock and start selling Indian goods,” he said.

According to him, they supply around 90 per cent of Chinese goods to 800 wholesalers in Telangana and hundreds of traders in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.