Kolkata, April 2 Rising crude prices, amid the West Asia crisis, are driving up the costs of flex banners and other election campaign materials in West Bengal, a state heading to elections, according to industry sources.
Printers and representatives of the plastics industry said that packaging and flex printing costs have increased by around 15-20% in recent weeks, following a rise in petrochemical feedstock prices due to supply disruptions linked to the West Asia situation.
Since the plastic granules used in making flex banners are derived from crude oil, fluctuations in crude prices directly affect the production cost of campaign materials, which are widely used during elections, representatives of the printing industry said.
KK Seksaria, former president of the Plastindia Foundation, said that raw material prices in the plastics value chain have surged sharply due to global supply disruptions.
"There is a significant impact," Seksaria said, adding that the government's recent 7.5% duty cut for three months may provide some relief to manufacturers and users.
Printers involved in producing campaign banners said that the rise in input costs has translated into higher printing charges.
Traders in Burrabazar, one of the largest wholesale hubs for election merchandise, said that demand for campaign materials such as flags, banners, and scarves has started to pick up as candidates begin filing nominations.
"Demand for election materials is increasing, and orders are becoming more firm as the nomination process is underway. We expect further growth in the coming days as the campaign intensifies," an election material dealer in Burrabazar said.
Traders said that the prices of several campaign materials are already higher compared to the 2024 Lok Sabha election cycle, partly due to higher raw material costs.
Traders estimate that the overall market for campaign merchandise across the state could exceed Rs 500 crore this election season.