Kolkata Durga Puja committees are facing an unusual shortage of advertising and sponsorship commitments, with organisers of large, medium and small pujas reporting that several campaigns remain undecided close to the festival. In some locations, nearly 70 per cent of stalls are yet to find sponsors, while advertising gateways are still empty and temporary bamboo structures may have to be dismantled if deals are not finalised.
Organisers said no major company had yet confirmed advertising rates in several cases. The commitments secured so far are not sufficient to cover the costs of conducting the pujas, they said. One puja known for receiving sponsorship from jewellery companies has also not attracted a jewellery brand this year, according to the report.
The uncertainty has affected larger pujas first, organisers said, raising concerns about the position of medium-sized and smaller committees. They attributed the slowdown partly to uncertainty surrounding Durga Puja in recent months, including disputes over which groups would conduct particular pujas and changes in local organising teams.
Some organisers said the change in leadership at several pujas had disrupted established sponsor relationships. In some locations, older organisers had built the contacts used to secure sponsorship, but those networks were no longer available to the new teams, they said.
A further concern had been whether the new government would continue municipal tax and other concessions traditionally available during the festival. The issue was discussed among organisers before Chief Minister Shuvendu Adhikari told a coordination meeting with puja committees on 7 September that all existing municipal tax concessions would remain in force.
The assurance has improved expectations among organisers, but they said it had not yet resulted in a significant flow of sponsorship. Shashwata Basu of Hatibagan Sarbojanin said that by this stage in previous years, sponsorship arrangements were usually complete. Advertising agency representatives were visiting, he said, but no deals had been finalised.
Abhishek Bhattacharya of Tala Barowari said organisers were waiting to see whether the expected advertising materialised. He also referred to concern that the negative publicity surrounding Durga Puja over the past few months could affect the festival market.
Anjan Ukil, secretary of the Forum for Durgotsav and an organiser of Ballygunge Cultural, said the response had improved after the chief minister’s meeting. However, he said major decisions might not be made until after Ganesh Puja, as large-company advertising is often finalised from Mumbai and approvals are not received until that festival is over.
Advertising arrangements are also being watched around Allen Park near Park Street, where a Durga Puja is being held for the first time this year. A first-time puja is also planned in Kolkata’s Bow Barracks. According to the report, a company that has received the municipal tender for advertising along Camac Street, Park Street and Shakespeare Sarani has separately been assigned responsibility for arranging advertising at Allen Park.
An executive of the company said the organisation had been instructed to deliver the arrangements, but added that the weak puja advertising market made it difficult to estimate how much could ultimately be achieved. Organisers are now waiting for sponsorship decisions to be completed as the festival approaches.
