Bihar recorded a sharp rise in Dhanteras purchases this year, with gold and silver jewellery, cars, electric vehicles, electronics and home appliances driving heavy footfall at markets and showrooms across the state. Retailers and trade representatives attributed the increase to relatively lower precious-metal prices, the approaching wedding season and strong interest in products with lower operating costs.
Gold jewellery sales across Bihar rose to about 800kg during Dhanteras, compared with around 600kg during the same period last year, according to Chandan Soni, president of the Indian Bullion and Jewellers Association Limited (IBJA)-Bihar. Silver jewellery sales were estimated at nearly 11,000kg, up sharply from about 900kg reported for last year’s Dhanteras period.
Soni said customers bought gold coins, biscuits and jewellery, while silver purchases included coins, fish, tortoise and deity idols. Binod Kumar of the Gold Association, Bakerganj, said the local bullion market recorded a 10%-15% increase in sales. Lower gold and silver prices, along with wedding-related purchases, were cited as key factors behind the higher demand.
Automobile sales also increased substantially. A marketing head of an automobile company, Suvesh Kumar, said 1,500 cars were sold across Bihar in a single day, including an estimated 750-800 in Patna. The automobile market nearly doubled compared with last Dhanteras, while the two-wheeler market grew by about 30%-35%, according to the report.
Electric vehicles were among the strongest-performing segments. Kumar said demand for electric cars exceeded available stock, leaving some models sold out. At a showroom in Patliputra, manager Anuj Tiwari said enquiries for electric scooters had increased because buyers were comparing their running costs with petrol vehicles. The dealership priced electric scooters between Rs 1.26 lakh and Rs 1.80 lakh on road, depending on the model and variant.
The reported demand points to a growing role for operating costs in vehicle purchases, although the figures do not establish how many buyers switched from petrol vehicles or how much of the increase came from new customers. The reported shortage of electric cars also indicates that demand and dealership supply did not always move together during the festival period.
Patna experienced its heaviest footfall after 3pm, with customers visiting jewellery shops, automobile dealerships and electronics outlets. Purchases ranged from ornaments, coins and idols to cars, electric scooters, mobile phones, televisions, refrigerators, washing machines, induction cooktops and steel utensils.
Home appliances and electronics recorded an estimated 25%-30% increase in sales. Anuj Kumar, sales head of a leading home appliances and electronics agency, said televisions, refrigerators and washing machines sold strongly across the company’s 40 showrooms in Patna district. Mobile phones and other gadgets were also reported to be in high demand.
The reported figures provide a snapshot of festival-linked consumption in Bihar’s urban markets rather than a complete measure of statewide retail activity. They also come from trade representatives, dealerships and retailers, and the report does not provide independently audited sales data or a consolidated assessment from a government agency. Retailers identified the next major demand window as the wedding season, which they expect to support continued purchases of jewellery, vehicles and household goods.
