Diwali spawns part-time businessmen

AHMEDABAD/VADODARA: If it is time for you to shop, for someone else it is obviously time to sell. And it is sheer Gujarati enterprise that makes hundreds of people to forget their main occupation for a while and set up temporary stalls during the Diwali week .
Anil Bhatt is a fireworks’ dealer and a kite seller and a rakhi retailer and... you name it, and Bhatt has handled that business.Basically, a bank employee, his enterprise made him venture into all kinds of seasonal businesses.
He is certainly not alone in making hay while the sun is shining. There are many who can be seen selling firecrackers in rented shops, or stalls to cash in on the Diwali euphoria, while going slow on their main business or profession.
However, to make a windfall during the five-day festival, these retailers have to do back-breaking work. "I work from 7 in the morning to 3 the next morning during these five days. One has to take care of the stock at all times and sell as much as possible during the festival," says 32-year-old Kalpesh Patel.
Patel runs a sari shop in Naranpura. "I rent a place right under my sari shop during Diwali every year and sell crackers. I can make a profit of around Rs 50,000 in these five days. I feel good that this money has come from my independent effort without any help from my family," he says with pride.
Kalpesh Prajapati, who owns a garment shop in the Gheekanta area, has set up a stall right behind the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation west zone office.
"I put up a stall every year in the Kameshwar Temple area, where a lot of people gather in the evenings. I keep a modest 12-14 per cent profit margin, just so that I can make an extra buck to supplement my earnings," Prajapati said.
At least 60-65 such stalls dot the Naranpura-Ghatlodia stretch and an equal number on Sola road do brisk business during Diwali. But without taking any fire safety precautions, they can easily cause an accident.
"Those who put up stalls have no licence and take no precaution. Any pedestrian, smoking along that stretch, can easily spark a fire. Yet, both AMC and the police turn a blind eye, so long as they get their share," says a fireworks manufacturer Dharmesh Mehta.
Manish Indulkar, a real estate broker, has been setting up a firecracker stall at Polo Ground in Vadodara, every year during Diwali. "In 1995, I started the firecracker business by setting up a temporary stall. It was quite profitable. But now, as it is an open market, the margins are pitiably low. Moreover, I cater to my regular customers and there is no scope for the business to grow further. I take orders for crackers during weddings and other festivals, too," says Indulkar.
For Raju Kumar (name changed), a class III employee at the MS University, Diwali is the time to make some additional income. "I set up a firecracker stall every Diwali. It is a risky business as we have to exhaust the entire stock. The market is competitive. It is either you make a good profit or suffer bad loss," he adds.