VIRUDHUNAGAR: Deepavali’s newest trend is lighting up greater than the sky. In Sivakasi, where fireworks have long been tradition, manufacturers are cashing in on a playful twist — crackers shaped like toys and cartoon characters that are transforming the business with booming sales.
At shops in Sattur and Sivakasi, children tug their parents toward shelves lined with trains, guitars and even Tom and Jerry-shaped fireworks. These toy-inspired varieties, made with corrugated materials, vanish from shelves within minutes despite their premium pricing. These cracker varieties account for over 50% of total retail sales this year.
According to manufacturers and traders, the idea took shape after months of research and visits to international fireworks markets, including China. They then collaborated with Sivakasi’s corrugated packaging sector, which has over 200 units, to bring the designs to life through trials and refinements.
“All these models use the same smoke and shower effects as traditional crackers, like flower pots, but their captivating designs make them bestsellers, with profits exceeding 20 per cent,” said industry insiders. For example, at a cracker shop in Sattur, a box of traditional big flower pot crackers, with shower effects, sells at `70, while a box of guitar-shaped crackers, which use the same effect, fetch around `280 after discount.
For K Sidharth (24) of Mercury Fireworks, whose 80% of sales come from northern states, the gamble has paid off. “Take the train model, for instance, we produced around 10,000 pieces, which sold out almost immediately. Even after ramping up production, the demand hasn’t slowed,” he said.
After sourcing the outer shells from corrugated units, the manufacturers trained a team of 25 workers to handle the chemical work safely. Beginning in January last year, development of these models took six months of trial and error. “As demand grew, we trained more workers. Production is labour-intensive, but given the popularity, we plan to expand next year,” Sidharth said.
The ripple effect has extended beyond fireworks units as about 200 corrugated factories, which supply shells and boxes, have seen a surge in business. “Over the years, 40 per cent of our sales come from cracker packaging. With these new models, profit margins have grown by 10-15 per cent,” said K Rama Moorthy, president of Corrugated Boxes Manufacturers Association, Sivakasi. He added that corrugated shells are now designed with added stiffness and thickness for safety.
