In the year 2000, you would find an estimated 480 small-scale manufacturing units operating in the region of Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Domestic sales were up, and the local manufacturers had their hands full with export orders. The fires in the pot and tank-type furnaces in the glass waste-strewn city seemed never to go out. Cut to 2007 & you will find that the fire in over 300 furnaces has been ebbed out. The mud furnaces have crumbled from disuse, the topography resembles a wasteland and thousands of labourers are jobless, their employers being bankrupt. This article takes a look at the damage caused to the industry by cheap Chinese imports, which have flooded Indian markets. The products proving to be an instant hit as they are up to 50% cheaper than similar wares from Firozabad's factories.
