South India's biggest electronic market, Ritchie Street in Chennai reopens amid lockdown

Chennai's Ritchie Street is one of Asia's largest markets and is the second largest market in India after the Delhi Nehru market which supplies electronic components, computer peripherals, laptops, computer, video games and other electronic devices to the entire state and also to the neighbouring states of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh.

The entire market has over 2,000 shops where around 8,000 depend upon it directly while around 10,000 rely on it indirectly for their livelihood. The market is always a crowded place from customers across the state and hence one of the worst affected due to the COVID19 lockdown.

All the shops were shut and the entire market stood still for the last two months. The Chennai corporation and police have finally permitted to open up the market after multiple demands from the shop associations.

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Odd-Even formula

"The shops will be opened up in alternative odd and even number formula to control the crowd, no vehicles will be allowed, all the government protocols will be followed from sanitising the place to wearing masks," said R.Chandalia, Secretary of the Chennai electronics and infotech traders association."Shops were shut for two months, we can only estimate the market condition only after next two months on how it's going to pick up. It has taken a big toll even for the govt since we couldn't pay the GST" added Mr Chandalia.

There are shop owners, workers, suppliers, labourers and even rickshaw pullers who are relying upon the business in the multi-crore market.

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Sunil, owner of a computer chip and components shop says "I have been paying 30,000 rent for my shop and godown even during the lockdown, I also paid salary to my employees, we don't know how the market is going to be up as electronic goods are not as much important as food or medicine during COVID-19, it will take another 6 months for the market to pick up."

Almost 80% of the market depends on the Chinese goods, which is another major challenge keeping the COVID crisis in mind. They have opened up the market to run the business with the goods which they've stocked, which will be enough for the next 2-3 months. They are hoping that the situation will get back to normal soon.

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