Soon after the Telangana State Pollution Control board (TSPCB) announced a ban on single-use plastic from July 1, street vendors at traffic junctions in Hyderabad lost no time in sensing a new opportunity for business. They are now selling bags made of woven synthetic material as an alternative to plastic. Not only are these bags with a small handle attractive as they come in eye-popping metallic magenta, gold, blue, silver and pink colours, but are water resistant, making them perfect for the current rainy season,
Street vendors at busy traffic junctions such as Jubilee Hills check post, Road no 45 Jubilee Hills and Khairatabad are doing brisk business with these bags. They are priced T ₹100 a piece or buy two for ₹150 after a good bargain. Ratan Raj who sells them at Jubilee Hills check post, claims that the bags can be used to carry small and light laptops as well.
The savvy vendors keep an eye out for what is likely to sell best during a particular season. Ratan says: “During summer we sold strawberries, last year we sold a lot of big umbrellas; when everyone started paying through app (digitisation) we sold card machines. Business karna hai toh demand wali cheez bechna (to do business, we must sell the things that are in demand).” The vendors apparently keep a tab on online shopping sites as well to know the trend.
Another vendor Rajni adds: “Cleaning these bags is easy. Buyers can match the bags with their clothes. Fashion mein hai ye bags (these bags are in fashion).”
When asked why anyone would purchase from them, Ratan laughs, “Our goods are GST free and we are literally mobile shops. We can even cross the signal and run to you.”
