Power cuts spark revival of candle-making

Until a year ago candles had little relevance in Tamil Nadu, but crippling power cuts — which range between four and 12 hours daily across the state — have given them a new-found utility.

According to candle industry representatives from Coimbatore, a major hub for candle manufacturing, demand has grown by some 25 per cent over the past year. While this is the upside, cheap Chinese gadgets and raw material availability are hurting the industry, they added.

The candle industry is unorganised and most producers in Coimbatore — a city known for engineering units — are cottage units. But, since power cuts have severely affected industrial activity, even engineering units have taken up candle manufacturing for survival, said J James, district president of the Tamil Nadu Association of Cottage and Micro Enterprises.

Neeraj Kumar, who has been in the candle manufacturing business for over 30 years, says there are only six to seven registered units in Coimbatore, while the rest are small units operating from homes and garages. “This business is a seasonal one. As and when the demand goes up, people take up manufacturing activity.”

Over the past year, the demand for candles has increased by 25-30 per cent due to the power cuts across the state, he added.

The demand for candles, which was around 10,000 pieces per day prior to the power cuts, is now some 500,000 pieces per day, while production is only 100,000 candles per day, said Kumar.

“We cannot increase production, since it’s a seasonal business. The current demand is temporary. Taking that into account we cannot invest. Besides, Chinese flashlights and other gadgets are posing a threat and non-availability of raw material (wax) is also a problem.”

Demand is mainly from rural areas, where people cannot afford to buy generators or inverters, said V Dooraiswamy, a wholesale distributor. Most of the output is also sold within a radius of 200 km.

Arul Raj, an executive committee member of Tamil Nadu Small and Tiny Industries Association (Tanstia), said demand for candles normally goes up between October and December due to the festive season. However, the supply of wax from petroleum companies in Tamil Nadu is not enough to keep up with demand, he added.