Wet grinder manufacturing at a unit in Coimbatore. File
| Photo Credit: M. Periasamy

Festival season, when sale of kitchen equipment peak, does not offer hope for wet grinder manufacturers in Coimbatore.

Manufacturers of the grinders, a product that has Geographical Indication tag, are moving to other businesses as demand has slumped.

R. Soundarakumar, president of the Coimbatore Wet Grinders and Accessories Manufacturers’ Association, told The Hindu on Tuesday, September 26 that the demand used to peak from Dasara and go on till Pongal. The manufacturers in Coimbatore were selling more than one lakh grinders a month. “Now we sell just about 50,000 grinders a month and on an average the total sales is just 30% of what it used to be,” he said.

Of the nearly 200 end product manufacturers, only 80 – 100 manufacturers are continuing business. “The decline started more than six years ago when the government distributed grinders free of cost. We thought business will revive. But, one development after another – GST, COVID-19, etc – has led to complete fall of business,” he said.

‘Consumers now buy idli/dosa batter from shops’

There is no demand for wet grinders because of change in food habits and life style. Most of the consumers buy idli/dosa batter and do not grind batter at home. The demand has fallen across geographies.

The dealers ask for new models regularly. But, the manufacturers require nearly ₹13 lakh to make a die. With fall in demand and business, they find it difficult to make new models of grinders regularly.

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Though the Central government is implementing from 2004 a cluster project for wet grinder and accessory manufacturers it is practically difficult to make dies through common facilities or take up common marketing, says Mr. Soundarakumar.

The issues that the manufacturers face include 18 % GST on the grinders and shortage in availability of grinding stones. “We have also not raised the issues much because there is no demand for the grinders,” he added.