A quantitative report by the British Council pegs the total economic worth of the creative industries around Durga Puja at an estimated INR 32,377 crore annually (pre-pandemic),2.58 percent of the state’s GDP.
Durga Puja has put Kolkata and India on the world map. It has been adjudged the best “Festival Destination in India” and has helped West Bengal move up to 5th rank, overtaking Rajasthan, for both domestic and international tourists (as per India Tourism Statistics at a glance – 2020). The festival, the biggest in eastern Indian state of West Bengal, has also grown in stature internationally and is celebrated with much fanfare in many countries, a British Council report said . The festival and the creative economy provides employment and income to artists, artisans, and labourers on various scales. Domestic and international tourism to and out of the city of Kolkata during the festive season also gets a boost.
The four-day Durga Puja has a significant impact not only on the state’s national and international perception, but also on West Bengal’s revenue. A quantitative report by the British Council pegs the total economic worth of the creative industries around Durga Puja at an estimated INR 32,377 crore annually (pre-pandemic),2.58 percent of the state’s GDP. Some key findings from British Council’s ‘Mapping the Creative Economy around Durga Puja’ report: Of the total worth of the creative economy around Durga Puja at estimated INR 32,377crore annually, Of them retail is Rs 27,364 crore, food and beverage is Rs 2,854 crore, installation, arts and decoration – Rs 860 crore and advertisements to the tune of Rs 504 crore. Besides them Rs 318 crore from sponsorship, idol making worth Rs 260-280 crore,and literature and publishing – Rs 260-270 crore and lighting and illumination is Rs 205 crore. The above figures are the pre-covid situation of 2019.
The break up in the retail segement ( Rs27,364 crore) witnessed a 100 percent increase in month sales value in West Bengal, primarily driven by increase in purchasing power and elevated spending sentiment Most blue collared job workers and state government employees receive Durga Puja bonuses and plan purchases during this time Apparels, jewellery and electronics experience the highest sales and retailers come up with various festive offers to attract the consumers Under the food and beverage ( Rs 2,854) as the consumers spend during the festive month is believed to be 30 pc higher than that of the previous month The ‘Bhog prasad’ market – an industry that is created each year during the Puja – is estimated at Rs 19.9 crore Installation, Arts and Decoration -( Rs 860 crore) ast this metropolitan city alone accounts for 15 pc share of pandal-making industry in West Bengal While the registered pujas account for Rs 700 crore, the unregistered pujas account was Rs 160 crore,the British Council reports said.
The typical budget of a single Super Mega registered pandal in Kolkata – was Rs 2.5 crore and advertisements worth of R – 504 crore as various mediums utilised for Durga Puja advertisements include TV, Print, OOH, Radio, Cinema and Digital Hikes in monthly revenue occurs due to spike in advertisement rates (TV, Print, Radio) and also due to increase in occupancy rates (OOH, Radio) Sponsorships – Rs 318 crore with long-term sponsors that include large MNCs and major Indian corporate firms carry out long-term campaigns around Durga Puja and Idol making – worth of Rs 260-280 crore. As Kolkata accounts for Rs 120 Crore, rest of WB accounts for Rs 140 Crore (GBP 14.2M) and unregistered pujas contribute Rs 20 Crore Prices of most exported idols are in the range of Rs 1.4 lakhs to 1.75 lakhs, while 7-8 percent of these idols are priced at Rs 3.5 lakhs Literature and publishing – around Rs 260-270 crore. Total segment revenue composed of news dailies account for Rs 240-250 Crore and periodicals account for Rs 16-17 Crore and advertisements in news dailies and periodicals contribute 66pc to the segment revenue Lighting and illumination for registered pujas account for Rs 175 Crore while the unregistered ones account for Rs 30 Crore For the registered Puja segment, Kolkata accounts for 14 pc of pandal spend whereas 86 pc is attributed to rest of West Bengal Inward tourism increases significantly, drawing visitors from across the country and increasing retail spending around Durga Puja Kolkata sees 120 pc spike in bus passengers around Durga Puja and 11 pc spike in air traffic Nearly 9.2 lakh passengers travelled on a single train in the Kolkata metro on 3rd October 2019 – a record for Kolkata Metro, the British Council reports said.