Bathinda grapples with slump

One of the oldest cities in Punjab, Bathinda or Bhatinda, is nicknamed the 'City of Lakes' and was once known as Tabar-e-Hind meaning-'the gateway to India'. The city is home to two modern thermal power plants, Guru Nanak Dev Thermal Plant and Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant. The city has a fertilizer plant, a large oil refinery, a zoo, and a historic Qila Mubarak fort. Bathinda is one of the largest food grain and cotton markets in northern India.

Bathinda is surrounded by many small and medium towns, making the city a hub of most industrial activities in the region. Major industries in Bathinda include national fertilizers plant, petrochemical plants, yarn and textiles plants, citrus fruit belts and sugar mills. As part of a massive development program to make Bathinda a model city, the government has proposed to set up a special economic zone (SEZ) for textile, an international cricket stadium and academy. Bathinda is also an educational hub of this region and its tourism sector has grown manifold.

Talking about the information technology sector, Bathinda market operates with roughly more than 50 dealers and manages to churn out a decent amount of revenue annually, however the market is going through a slump for the past few months. According to Vinod Singla, CEO of Avion Technologies, the Diwali period was fine, but the situation has worsened now. Customers footfall is extremely less. Agreed Sharad Singla, owner, Neuron Computers. He said, "Day by day the market situation in deteriorating. Customer now-a-days doesn't wait for an occasion to buy products, they come as and when required. There is competition in the market, and we are not getting proper margin also. The situation is not very good these days." The most sold product is laptop in the city, while brands such as Dell, HP and Sony are doing good.

Partners claim that none of the segments are contributing towards the economy at present, as the market is going through a tough period. Talking about the IT association of the city, Bathinda Computers Professional Association (BCPA), Vinod said, "BPCA is doing good in the region. It is capable of solving our problems, as and when we face any." Sharad also said in concurrence, "The association is regular in its activities. It holds meeting every 2 months and solves all our problems."

However gloomy the Bathinda markets looks at present, partners are hopeful of a positive future in the coming days.

Market Name: Bathinda

Market Location: Punjab

Surrounding Markets: Chandigarh, Delhi, Jalandhar, Ambala

Computer Association: Bathinda Computers Professional Association (BCPA)

Prominent Dealers: Avion Technologies, Divine Computers, Neuron Computers, Sinewave Technologies

No of Dealers: 50+