With a population of 1.2 billion, it is no surprise that India is sold on the idea of weddings. During peak season, on any given auspicious day, thousands of people are known to tie the knot in our country. Big cities, small towns or villages, if you’re somewhere near 30 chances are your family has spent the last decade deliberating your wedding.
Stereotyped across the world for our inherent miserly nature, ironically when it comes to weddings Indians suddenly develop a no-holds-barred attitude. And so with every passing year the business of weddings is flourishing leaps and bounds. It is actually the perfect business model – demand is high, unbounded cash-flow, forecast is perennial and possibilities are endless.
But wait. Ever stopped to think who may be the ultimate beneficiary of this upswing? (Drumroll)…AND THE WINNER IS…well, not you! We’ve been made to believe that when there is great advancement within an industry the entire economy stands to gain from it. But if this was true, shouldn’t the payback be somewhat noticeable by now? What happens when money raised does not trickle down the funnel? When business becomes the monopoly of a selected few?
The rich become richer and the poor even poorer. Sadly, thats exactly the model our wedding industry is based upon.
If Bittoo tikki walla is contracted at a wedding and his live tikki station is operational for a standard duration of three hours within which he sells an average of 30 tikkis/hr at the rate of 1 tikki every 2 minutes, then he sells all of 90 tikkis on each stall. Even if there is a minimum of 3 stalls, thats 270 tikkis consumed at the party. The standard rate of a popular tikki walla at a wedding exceeds 1.5 lakh Rupees. If a plate of 2 tikkis is retailed at Rs 30 thats Rs 15 per tikki as opposed to Rs 210 per head at a wedding. We think you get the point being made here.
“There is unfortunately a complete disconnect between the private sector and the government with regards to wedding – and the potential of it as an industry. Weddings even today are seen as largely private affairs. YOU spend what YOU can afford and that really is your own business that does not concern anyone else”, says Chetan Vohra of Wedding Line. He adds, “10 years ago, having a DJ was still a luxury reserved for the classes. Today there is a DJ at every function for no matter who and at what budget they have. Such is also the evolution being seen in decor, in F&B and in the number of functions you “need to” host. Everyone wants bigger and better – and it does not matter if they can afford it or not – they must have it because they want to secure their social status, and this social status is so strong that it eclipses all before it.”
Baraats have become a public nuisance and there is no state intervention to alleviate this problem. “The simple ghori now has to contend with elephants, camels, chariots – sometimes with up to four horses, vintage cars, DJ set ups on the move and, of course, if its Delhi then the famous Car-o-bar cannot be left behind. Baarat processions in modern times are probably comparable to political processions or rallies. If you have the might – you have the right”. Says Vohra. Although one needs to notify the local area police station as a forewarning of the anticipated baraat, a simple box of ladoos can relax the rules to a great extent.
It seems the government has turned a blind eye to the immense potential to raise revenue from the wedding industry. And because it is not profitable for the government it does not excite the state enough to invest in. While the ‘baraat’ causes road blockages, there are no government standards for health and safety at the venues, state owned lands for weddings are highly restricted and provision for parking is often poor.
Vohra says, “It is indeed a pity that we in India have not matured to look into these aspects of revenue generation or simply develop a broader mindset. Our monuments and palaces come with a list of do-nots that sometimes exceed the checklists associated in making an event happen. I did once speak to someone to explore the possibilities of doing a social event for a client at the Victoria Memorial in Calcutta. The official was at first amused and then proceeded to reprimand us by giving us a sermon on how it was against the culture of the state and these were public areas allocated for the general enjoyment of everyone and could not be hired out even if it was for a day.
There is a serious dearth of government approved spaces for weddings and events across the country. Mumbai has the Turf Club and then the set of Gymkhanas that line Marine Drive where one is at the mercy of private cartels that operate without check, simply because they are privately run. Delhi has people being restricted to commercial or private farm houses, but again have very few parks or landscaped gardens that may lend itself to the kind of clientele that is willing to spend money on a venue, that would add to that special day.”
The state needs to realize that if money could be raised from leasing state owned lands and monuments it could be channelled towards the maintenance and upkeep of the neglected historical establishments. The not-so-fortunates could be given subsidies on land and state-run facilities so that a dream-wedding is a privilege available to all and not just a monopoly of the classes.
“It is indeed sad to see how easily people stray to avoid taxation and thus choose alternative routes. The downfall of India came with the invention of “Jugaad” and that has come to rule us today. Everyone wants to fix what is not right, rather than be right and have to avoid the fix altogether. There seems to be a certain thrill in beating the system, similar to the school-boy who snuggled in a little chit into the exam – not knowing that he is not cheating the system but himself in the longer run”, adds Vohra.
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