Toy makers in the small village of Vandipalayam, located on the outskirts of Cuddalore, are in dire straits being stuck with unsold stocks of dolls worth ₹4 crore, thanks to the lockdown imposed in the wake of COVID-19.
In this nondescript village, hundreds of artisans have carved out a niche for themselves for decades, making the famed ‘Kolu’ dolls for Navratri. The toys, of various hues and sizes made out of clay, are most sought after by customers from across the State especially from Chennai and Kumbakonam, as well as from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Each of the more than 200 families are known for their skill and dexterity in making the dolls for Vinayaga Chathurthi, Krishna Jayanti, Navratri and Christmas. But the pandemic has cast a pall on the business, and the units employing hundreds of workers especially women, are now staring at an uncertain future.
The lockdown has caused unprecedented hardship and an economic crash in the row of houses in Vandipalayam, with a near total absence of purchasers.
“The pandemic has pushed us into a deep crisis. Before the lockdown, each unit used to do business of ₹30 to ₹40 lakh per year. Shopkeepers and customers from Mylapore in Chennai and abroad including Singapore, Europe and the United States used to purchase Kolu dolls from here and sell them. But business has been very dull since June, and we have stocks worth several lakh lying unsold. Such a situation has never been seen any time in the past,” says S. Karthikeyan, a third-generation toy maker.
“Normally those purchasing the dolls from far off places would pay an advance amount and the full amount would be settled at a later stage. This was the practice for the last few years. But this year, even this is not possible as the demand has fallen steeply. In spite of this, we have managed to take care of the workers and paid 50% of the wages,” says K. Venkatraman, a doll maker. Prior to the lockdown, he sold 300 to 500 cartons containing the Kolu dolls, per month. But now sales have been severely affected. Though the dolls are ready, customers are hesitant to buy them due to the pandemic, he says.
Most of the units here have taken loans from private money lenders who impose a very high rate of interest. With more than 50% of the stocks stagnating, they are facing huge difficulties in repaying the loans, says Karthikeyan.
There have been no orders since the lockdown. While customers have been buying toys on social media platforms -- a new addition to the Kolu doll makers here -- the response has been very poor, Karthikeyan added.
