Token strike today to cost garment storeowners dearly; city alone to suffer loss of over Rs 50 crore

Shopaholics, stay put, for you will not be able to buy clothes anywhere in the city, or the country for that matter, and you have no one else but the finance minister to thank for it. The clothing industry has called an all-India bandh against the 10 per cent excise duty on branded readymade garments proposed by the Union Budget 2010-11.

Having their say: A poster at a garments store

Nearly one lakh shops across the country will remain closed today as part of the 'No Sale Day'. And even though this means that retailers will experience a Rs 500 crore loss nationwide, they are not backing down.
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United we stand Kishore Biyani, CEO of Future Group, expressed his support for the pan-India remonstration. "I think we have to show solidarity with the bandh. After all, we are part of the trade," he said.