The local pottery business is facing a significant downturn this Diwali as traditional potters in the city struggle to compete with cheaper imported earthen goods, including clay diyas, flooding the city market. The influx of these foreign products has led to ordinary customers and traders turning away from local artisans, threatening the livelihood of the pottery community.

Traditionally, local potters in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Panvel, and Uran produced clay diyas and idols for the festival, with businesses relying on truckloads of goods transported from these regions to local markets. However, with the city’s expansion and rising population, residents find it increasingly difficult to visit potters directly. Instead, they are opting to purchase diyas from nearby grocery and general stores, which now stock goods from local wholesalers.

In a troubling turn, overseas wholesalers have recognized this shift and have begun directly supplying grocery and general store owners in the region, significantly reducing foot traffic to local potters. As a result, the traditional potters of Kumbharwada are facing financial difficulties, unable to compete with the low prices of imported items.

Moreover, the market has seen an emergence of fancy and decorative items, which are being marketed in various designs and attractive packaging for gifting. These trendy products, now available in malls and upscale stores, are drawing customers away from traditional pottery, further threatening the business of local artisans.