VIRUDHUNAGAR: Highlighting the growing market for aerial display fireworks in India and abroad, the Indian Fireworks Association in Sivakasi noted that the industry in the region must adapt to tap this potential.
According to J Tamil Selvan, the association's president, India is yet to develop aerial display fireworks that match global standards. He said the industry needs to study advanced practices followed in China and urged the government to amend provisions of the Explosives Act, 2008, to modernise aerial fireworks manufacturing facilities. He suggested that studying dedicated aerial display fireworks parks in Liuyang, China, could provide insights into building export capacity, as it has over 1,400 years of production history and expand the sector's annual turnover to around Rs 20,000 crore.
"With stricter safety and environmental norms in China, many small and outdated units have been shut, pushing the industry towards high-technology production. This includes the integration of fireworks with drone displays and the adoption of automated manufacturing processes," he added.
He said the fireworks industry has been going through a difficult phase and that the association has initiated efforts to revive it, including holding discussions with Amardeep Singh Bhatia, Secretary in the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade.
Pointing out that crackers are often labelled as dangerous and hazardous, he said the sector has been left out of both the MSME framework and the corporate category. "The industry needs formal recognition so that it can access government benefits such as subsidies," he said, adding that the association has recently submitted representations seeking safeguards for the sector.
He also noted that under the Explosives Act, 2008, firecracker manufacturing is not permitted during night hours, and said amendments to such provisions could help revitalise the industry.