Rudrapur markets estimated to have done over Rs 600 crore business from Dhanteras to Diwali: gold-silver Rs 250 crore, vehicles Rs 100 crore, electronics Rs 75 crore; swadeshi goods preferred

Rudrapur's markets are estimated to have done business of more than Rs 600 crore in the three days from Dhanteras to Diwali. According to Amar Ujala, traders estimate the business at about Rs 250 crore for gold and silver, Rs 100 crore for automobiles, Rs 75 crore for electronics, Rs 67 crore for clothes and readymade garments, Rs 33 crore for utensils, Rs 29 crore for sweets, groceries and dry fruits, Rs 25 crore for firecrackers and decorations, and Rs 21 crore for flowers, puja items, gifts and others. Vyapar Mandal president Sanjay Juneja said people bought heavily, from jewellery to vehicles, clothes and electronics. According to traders, customers gave preference to swadeshi products this time and shopping in local markets rose instead of online, which benefited small traders. One cloth merchant said his shop sold clothes worth Rs 20 lakh last year and Rs 40 lakh this time. Bullion traders spoke of record sales of gold and silver on Dhanteras. These figures are traders' estimates, not official data.