Varanasi, April 18 (TIWN) The Banarasi saree industry, renowned for its production of beautiful and some of the finest sarees in India, is struggling to cope with the dip in the business it is facing due to the nationwide lockdown owing to the coronavirus pandemic that has claimed over 450 lives in the country so far.

“We have an annual income of about Rs 6,000 crore. We sell for 250 days. The business is closed for 100 days. This business runs without any support from the government. It’s a self-funded employment. This industry is currently closed due to the COVID-19 outbreak and due to this, many families are struggling,” Dhawan said.   He said that Banarasi sarees are sold most in the domestic market. The saree is sold in all districts of India its demand raises especially during marriages as it’s used widely.   “There is no system here like place an order and book your product. Here, the customer comes and purchases the products himself. People purchase these sarees a lot during the wedding season,” he said.   Vaibhav Kapoor, vice-president of the Silk Trade Association, said: “The Coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire market. The business of the months of March and April have taken a blow, and things are not likely to get better even in May. It will take at least six months to recover from this. Even after the end of lockdown, it will take a lot of time for the industry to recover.”