Shops have opened in Delhi’s Gandhinagar market, the country’s largest readymade garment wholesale market, in the fifth phase of lockdown that includes some relaxations. However, the hustle bustle in the market is missing.
Due to the corona outbreak, the crowds in the market have vanished. Businessmen open shops, but close before dusk as they hardly receive any customer. Many shops are shut because the staff working there has returned home. The exodus of workers from Delhi has greatly affected the business in the market.
Textile businessman Harish Kumar told IANS that shops have been opened, but there are no customers. He said the market is receiving barely 25 per cent of its usual number of customers.
He said since the factories are still closed, neither new orders are being received nor there are artisans and staff. The factories even do not have the staff for cleaning the premises.
Kumar said that due to the sealing of the borders of Delhi, wholesalers are not coming from outside.
Traders say that the usual sheen of Gandhinagar market, Asia’s largest wholesale market of readymade garments, will not return unless transportation becomes accessible and available.
S.K. Goyal, President of the Ramnagar Readymade Merchant Association based in Gandhinagar, said that as long as the borders of Delhi with the NCR cities are sealed, the opening of the market will not make any difference.
Another textile businessman Kailash Aggarwal of Gandhinagar has also started going to his factory. He said that only a few shops have opened because there is no demand.
Traders say that unless the demand gets created and new orders do not arrive, the functioning of the garment factories will not be back on track.
