Kite sellers in Gujarat's Surat expect good sales ahead of Uttarayan festival

Surat (Gujarat) [India], December 29 : Ahead of the Uttarayan festival in Gujarat, the kite sellers in Surat are expecting good sales after facing losses last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the traders in Surat, the business has shot up and they are expecting a good profit this year. "The trade is showing a boom as compared to last year. The price of kites has also gone up before the Uttarayan kite festival," said Jayesh Manjawala, who owns a 75-year-old kite business.

According to Manjawala, due to an increase in the cost of raw materials, the prices of kites have gone up by 20 to 25 per cent. "The price of papers used to make kites have also increased. The thread cost has also shot up by 15 to 20 rupees. Like every year, this year too, kites in different designs and messages are doing round in the market," he said.
According to sellers, the business faced a 50 per cent loss last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but looking at the footfall of customers this year, they are expecting huge sales this year.
Naresh Chhatriwala, another kite seller, said that the market ambiance is great as compared to the last three years. "We are witnessing an increase in sales of kites since Diwali," he added.