Team India revives demand for travel, TVs

NEW DELHI: Team India's stellar on-field exploits in the cricket World Cup are having a domino effect off the pitch. There is a mad scramble for air tickets for the semis and the final, sales of LED TVs are on an upswing and cricket bats from Punjab are suddenly in demand in Australia. What was turning out to be a bad-hair day for big and small businesses, has unexpectedly turned out to be a good outing after Dhoni & Co crushed Pakistan and South Africa comprehensively.

For instance, the number of people queuing up to fly to Australia has dramatically gone up. "For the India-Pak match, we had a package costing around Rs 2 lakh that included tickets. But now, we are also getting a lot of inquiries for the semis," said Sharat Dhall, COO with travel portal Yatra.

However, the newfound enthusiasm is not without its hurdles. "Fans are saying they want a package that has tickets for semis and a refundable one for the final, just in case India does not make it to the last lap. This kind of a tailor-made package will not be possible. Also, getting the Australian visa at such a short notice may not be possible," said a Delhi-based travel agent.

But at home, businesses have already started reaping the benefits of India's turnaround. Online marketplaces such as Snapdeal, Flipkart and eBay India have reported a spike in demand for audio-visual equipment. "Daily TV sales average after the Indo-Pak and India-SA matches is up by 50% and there is a significantly higher demand for bigger TVs (above 40 inches)," said Tony Navin, senior VP, electronics and home, Snapdeal.

Flipkart too has witnessed a 20-30% increase in TV sales compared to last month and expect the number to go up, while eBay India has seen a growth of around 65% in LED TV sales with half of them being in the 40 inches and above range. "Sales have been robust, especially on the back of fantastic victories registered by the Indian cricket team... We are witnessing a good demand for large-screen TVs," said Sunil Nayyar, head of sales with Sony India.

Cricket gear and memorabilia have also been flying off the shelves. "Cricket bats, which are exported from Punjab, witnessed growth of around 150% in the last two weeks," said an eBay India spokesperson.

But fans have been missing Sachin Tendulkar. A special edition of Sachin's jersey from the 1992 World Cup Down Under, when he got the man-of-the-match against Pakistan, is already sold out on Amazon India. "It was Sachin's first World Cup and became a surprise bestseller," said Pankaj Jathar, category leader, sports, Amazon India.