Anti-CAA protest hits business across country

The massive protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act across the nation has started to affect several sectors, from restaurants to automobiles.

In a regulatory filing, Titan Company Ltd has stated that sales across all divisions in December’s second half were “impacted to some extent due to forced store closures due to the protests in the North East and in many other parts of the country,” reported The Indian Express. Titan controls nearly half the country’s ₹8,000 crore watch market.

December has witnessed less footfalls ta showrooms across several location due to protests and its continues to be subdued as well, said top executives of two major car manufacturing companies told Express.

Auto companies have reported curtailed shipments and disruption in supply have impacted inventory levels at dealerships at impacted locations.

“There has been a decline in customers visiting the showrooms since the protests began in December. In times of social unrest there is a decline in purchase of cars and as 2020 has also started on the same note, I don’t see a quick revival in car sales amidst the tide of protest and social unrest,” said the India chief of a leading car manufacturer, reported Indian Express

Represented by National Restaurant Association of India, owners of restaurant have pointed to the street violence in urban centres such as Delhi, Lucknow and Kolkata, alongside prohibitory orders imposed, having a massive impact on the food business.

Travel industry has indicated that inbound foreign tourist arrivals are witnessing a dip in growth. North East witnessed cancellation in view of massive protests and advisories from foreign governments. Russia, US, Canada, UK and Israel are the countries that have issued travel advisories to their citizens to exercise caution while visiting India, especially the North East.

“However, if the protests continue, the forthcoming seasons may get impacted. We are getting enquiries from our foreign customers with regard to protests and we (the industry members) are telling them that these are isolated incidents confined to particular areas and there is no reason to worry,” said Subhash Goyal, chairman STIC Travels Group, and past president of IATO

However, there is different story from Assam. A tour operator from Kaziranga National Park in Assam said that almost all operators have lost the peak season to protests.

“Every year, till January 15, all the resorts and hotels around Kaziranga are fully packed but this year they are scantily occupied. There are around 300 vehicles that have permission for jungle safari in Kaziranga but only around 20 are plying daily this year. It has been bad for us since the protests began. There are no customers and all businesses dependent upon tourists have been impacted,” he said, reported by The Indian Express