Hyderabad: Printers & calligraphers cope with onslaught

Charminar: The effect of pandemic has almost destroyed the card market at Chatta Bazar, particularly after the relaxations during June. Though almost every business is slowly returning to normalcy, the card the industry is still suffering.

There is barely business related to the printing of wedding cards, visiting cards, pamphlets. Even orders of New Yar calendars also came down.

"Our business usually runs on wedding invitation cards, but the pandemic has brought misery. Still, we are coping with it, as people are finding it easy to share digital cards on social media, instead of inviting guests by giving wedding cards," said Mohammed Ayub Ali, owner of Milan Process, Chatta Bazar market.

From the beginning of the lockdown till November, the business was totally hit. From December, it slightly recuperated. But the number of cards people order has fallen by half when compared to normal days.

Now they are ordering 50-80 cards, when in normal days it was around 100 to 200 cards. "We generally take an order of at least 100 cards, but now, for sustaining, we are also taking 50 cards" he added.

It is only close relatives who are getting the invitation cards; others are being invited on phone or through What'sApp. "Four out of ten people are preferring wedding cards.

Moreover, they are choosing under normal range of Rs 15 to Rs 30. Even well-to-do families are ordering minimum numbers," said Sajid Qureshi, owner of Mohsina Printers.

Calligraphers hard hit

Apart from the wedding card business, the Qatat (calligraphers) are still facing problems. As the card business is totally in the red, they are sailing in the same boat.

"If cards are not ordered, there is no need of calligraphers. We only know calligraphy. Still, we are surviving for livelihood," said Syed Nadeemullah Hussaini, a Qatat at Chatta Bazar.