The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Electronic goods for a song

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Tuesday, Nov 18, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Electronic goods for a song

Yogendra Kalavalapalli

Markets famous for low-cost TVs, stabilisers, speakers, DVD players

Electronic goods markets have their own clientele
Most of the shops in the market are wholesale dealers

-Photo: Mohd. Yousuf

Light on pocket: Electronic goods on sale near Secunderabad Station.

HYDERABAD: “What is your last offer?” S. Himadhar asks the shopkeeper, his eyes firm on the silver and black coloured television screening a popular Telugu hit.

The shopkeeper, a stocky man in his 40s, ponders for few moments and declares, “Rs.2, 200 final, one year warranty. You will not find a better bargain than this.”

Ten minutes later, Mr. Himadhar, an office boy at a local company accompanied by his friend walks away from the Haridas market with a 14 inch ‘Sonymax’ television in his hand.

“With my monthly income, I can’t afford to buy any of the branded TV sets. For people like me, these TV sets will do,” he says pointing to his newly-acquired television set.

He and his friend go on. “We don’t want to miss out on entertainment. This TV is like a one-time investment for us. Now we can know gossip about cine stars, watch movies and on some occasions cricket too,” they say with a broad grin.

Electronic goods markets like Haridas and Krishnadas markets at Koti, Parklane and Palika Bazaar in Secunderabad and Jagadish market, Abids do flourishing business. They have their own clientele.

Their prices vastly contrast with the branded televisions, speaker systems, DVD players and refrigerators on display at classy, well-lit showrooms in various parts of the city.

While Haridas and Krishnadas markets are famous for their low-cost televisions, stabilisers, speakers and DVD players, one can buy local or refurbished mixies, wet grinders, stoves and other household appliances at Monda markets for cheap prices.

Televisions are refurbished or assembled at small workshops in Haridas market. Four to six workers sit in rows and work on the array of electrical parts, wires and screws to assemble them into a workable television set.

Similar is the case with stabilisers, cleverly named ‘TV-Guard’ and sold at around Rs.350.

“These are company manufactured parts. We are just assembling them,” asserts a young technician at one of the shops. He further clarifies that most of the shops in the market are wholesale dealers and supply to smaller shops in the city.

DVD players are priced anywhere between Rs.800 and Rs.1,400, depending on whether they are assembled locally or ‘imported’. While the assembled DVD players are rarely labelled and come with crude knobs sufficing for buttons, the “imported Sony” pieces are comparably sleeker and well-finished.

Price range

Speakers, though, are not manufactured locally. They are brought from Delhi and are sold in the price range of Rs.350 to Rs.1, 200.

The cost depends on whether a particular set has ‘FM’, the number of speakers, woofer and of course, as shopkeepers insist, on the brand too!

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