Ahmedabad’s traditional red chopdas, or business account books, have become 20% to 25% more expensive ahead of Diwali as paper, cardboard, labour and printing costs rise, prompting traders to reduce their purchases in the city’s established commercial markets.
The price increase is being reported in markets such as Gandhi Road and Manek Chowk, where red account books remain part of the annual Chopda Pujan ritual. Traders traditionally begin the new financial year by worshipping their account books during Diwali, invoking Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganesh for prosperity, knowledge and success in business.
According to the report, paper prices have increased by Rs 5 per kilogram, while the cost of cardboard, labour and skilled bookmaking has also risen. A standard rojmel, used for recording business transactions, which earlier sold for about Rs 200 to Rs 300, now costs around Rs 400. Khata books that were previously available for Rs 150 to Rs 200 are now priced at about Rs 300.
The higher prices are changing buying patterns in the wholesale and retail markets. Traders who earlier purchased between 10 and 15 books for the festive season are now buying only four or five, according to the report. The reduction is particularly significant because many businesses buy the books for ritual use even when their daily accounts are maintained digitally.
Most traders now use computers, Tally or GST software for routine bookkeeping. However, the traditional red ledger continues to be purchased for Diwali worship, with some traders writing “Shri Sava” and drawing a swastika as part of the ceremony. The continued demand supports a seasonal market for account books in Ahmedabad’s older commercial districts.
The report also links the return to handwritten bookkeeping among some small traders to the rising operating cost of digital accounting. Computer operators who earlier earned between Rs 5,000 and Rs 10,000 a month are now paid about Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000, according to the report. Smaller businesses that cannot afford the higher wage are consequently turning back, gradually, to maintaining accounts by hand.
The report cites an estimate of about two crore traders in Gujarat, although it does not provide a separate figure for Ahmedabad or explain the basis of the estimate. Traders are seeking government action to control inflation as the cost of both traditional stationery and digital business support rises. The immediate market impact is visible in lower chopda purchases before the Diwali accounting ritual.
