Hyderabad: Pandemic likely to take wind out of 'patang' business

Hyderabad: With Makara Sankranti around the corner, the kite shops in the city are decked up with colourful kites for sale. However, hardly any buyers are seen at the shops with the Covid pandemic likely to cast a shadow on the festivities this year too.

According to kite traders, who are hopeful of making good business this time, there is a slight increase in kite prices due to increase in prices of raw material. This time, the kites are priced between Rs 10 and Rs 150 depending on the material, design and size of the kite.

Surender Singh, owner of Old Motilal Patang Ghar, Begum Bazar said, "The sales are yet to pick up as the festival is a week away. This time, we brought enough stocks. However, like last year, the business this year might be dull due to spike in Covid cases. The prices of all the items have gone up due to hike in fuel prices. Most of the kites and Manja is transported from Kanpur, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Kolkata causing slight rise in prices."

"The surge in Covid cases is likely to dent our business. Dhoolpet is known for its paper kites. However, this time even paper kites are going to be pricey due to hike in raw material prices. But, we are keeping our fingers crossed. We hardly make 30 to 40 per cent of profits through the sale. We appreciate if the State could come with some scheme and loan benefits to help the kite traders," opined Pratap of JD'S Patang Shop in Dhoolpet.

"With the ban on nylon Manja, the local Manja is in high demand this year. But, the sales are moderate. We are expecting the sales to pick up next week," said Venugopal Bangad, owner of Bhagwati Patang Ghar, Begum Bazar.