It was a crowd like never witnessed before, nearly 40,000 people jostling to enter and thousands of cars on roads leading to the shop bringing the city to a standstill. The place– Hyderabad, and the event– the opening of the first IKEA store. The Swedish multinational group and the world’s largest furniture retailer, IKEA, sells ready-to-assemble furniture, kitchen appliances and home accessories. The crowd was reminiscent of the gate crash on Black Friday in the US or the Boxing day in the UK.
Most of the stocks on display were picked up by the thirsty customers and the few hours sales logged more than Rupees 1 crore. I have all the admiration for IKEA and their products, having visited their shops in many countries in the world. The furniture are mostly from particle board and have a limited lifetime compared to conventional whole wood furniture that we are used to.
However, the question high on my mind now is, are quality furniture not made in India? Does our country not have good carpenters? Where do we lack, having enough skilled craftsmen and other resources? Does the entry of international giants in traditional crafts blow a hole in our ‘Make in India’ policy? Why in the 70 years of our independence has the focus for driving hordes of youth towards obtaining useless paper degrees not ended, and why does skill development into designing and development of many ordinary day-to-day use products remain a dream to this date? I’m dreaming of a day when skills including carpentry are awarded degrees at par with Commerce, Arts and science!
We are yet not a rich country but are happy pretending to be one. FDIs are essential, but in areas which are technically advanced and presently unattainable due to the crunch of finance or infrastructural deficiencies. Indeed, we can make food, beverages, clothes and toiletries in India, which can equal any foreign product. Furniture is no different too, in my opinion.
If corporates invade small trade, it would invariably escalate costs, without passage of profits to the growers and artisans. For example, a dozen bananas costing Rs.10/- now cost Rs.100/- thanks to the small sticker of a corporate laboriously stuck on each of the fruit. I have many pieces of furniture, some as old as hundred years or more and I guess there cannot be any substitute for their quality and craft.
Sadly, we still seem to suffer from a colonial hangover, unable to shed off our suit and ties, even in sweltering heat. If India has to taste independence, we need to be self-reliant, at least on areas and trades, where we support and promote the marginal farmer or carpenter (as in this case).
One can’t dream of a ‘Make in India,’ and paralyse a city, rushing to a different furniture store as if there is no tomorrow. It aptly reveals our perpetual (in)dependent nature!
Jai Hind!
Sampath Kumar
Intrépide voix
