MYSURU: As Russian missiles and explosives are pounding the capital city of Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine over the last couple of days, the granite industry in Karnataka is feeling the heat. Members of the industry, which has just been recovering from the effects of Covid, fear that if the war situation worsens, it could impact the delivery of export orders as it would be difficult to even get containers.
Chamarajanagar district alone has over 60 black granite quarries and 12 polishing and cutting industries, which exported stones worth Rs 1,072 crore between September 2020 and March 2021. But with the pandemic, nearly 60 per cent of the production had been hit.The Chamarajanagar black granite is known for its uniqueness, evenness and shine. It is much sought after in the US, Europe, Russia and Ukraine, where it is used as tombstones by Christian, Jewish and other communities.
Sirigiri, a leading granite exporter, said their exports to Russia and Ukraine will be hit if the war continues. “We are also worried whether our shipments that were halfway have reached ports. Usually, we get a container within a day, but during Covid, we could not source them even after trying for two to three weeks. During the pandemic, ships preferred to transport food, coffee and textile products that are of less weight. We will suffer heavy losses if we don’t get containers on time from Tuticorin and Chennai ports,” he added.
Giri, another exporter, said that exports have not been hit as of now. “But the war will definitely have an impact if it spreads to other parts of Europe or the US takes on Russia. The cost of production will shoot up once fuel prices skyrocket,” he added.He said that Italy, France, the US and European countries prefer the Chamarajanagar black granite over the black granite available in China.
Granite Industries Association president GM Hegde said that many quarry companies deliver the stones to exporters in Bengaluru and Hosur, from where they are packed and delivered to the rest of the world. “We are yet to deal with losses suffered during the pandemic and the war is not a good sign for our industry,” he added.
Shivaraj Thangadagi, a granite factory owner from IIkal, said they had suffered huge losses during Covid as they could not deliver their ruby red granite to China, where it is in high demand. World leaders should work towards ending the Russia-Ukraine war soon and ensure that air and sea traffic does not suffer in the interest of peace and also business, he pleaded.
The red granite from Kanakapura too is in high demand in Europe and Russia, where the stone is used as kitchen slabs and for flooring. The stone cutting and polishing units here employ hundreds of people and compete directly with Germany, China, the US and Australia.Mines and Geology Department officials said that if there is a fall in production and exports, it will directly affect revenue collections of the state government.