Silver jewellery manufacturing, which is a major industry in Salem, is seeing slow signs of revival following relaxation of lockdown restrictions.
The silver jewellery manufacturing units that employ over a lakh workers, including a large number of migrant workers, are seeing orders trickling in from other States, too. The silver jewellery is mainly handmade and about 10% of workers are from other States.
The industry had seen a complete halt of business activities due to the lockdown and now the anklet making units have restarted to deliver orders received before the lockdown and the job orders received for the festival season.
K.V. Chandrapal, a silversmith, who is into the business for the last 20 years, says that following relaxations in lockdown, guest workers who had gone to their home towns have returned and units here have resumed operations. The orders are coming from northern States, too.
C. Srianandarajan, secretary of Salem District Kolusu Manufacturers Kaivinai Sangam, said the units here have received orders for manufacturing silver anklets from Maharashtra for about 10 tonnes. Usually, the orders for festival season start coming in from beginning of July and the units start delivering after 20 days after receiving orders. This year, the orders for festival season are 50% less compared to earlier years. Manufacturers say that all stocks are freshly manufactured, and full revival of the industry depends on lockdown restrictions for containing the pandemic.
Mr. Srianandarajan also said that due to continuing lockdown restrictions in Kerala, the orders from that State for Onam festival has reduced by 50%, this year. While the units here will get orders up to 10 tonnes for Onam, it is just about five tonnes, this year.