My Cup Runneth Over
The World Cup has showered its bounty upon far-flung lands—including Kerala. Demand for related merchandise is fuelling a mini-boom in the state, with observers predicting Rs 700 crore worth of business before the tournament is over. Such surges take place during every World Cup, but this is perhaps the biggest yet in Kerala. Fans are gobbling up goods such as footballs, goal nets, boots, socks, jerseys and the flags of competing countries. There is also much demand for flex boards that show support for a team (favourites include Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Spain and Portugal) and taunt rival sides—one small printer has reportedly printed more than 250 boards, with over 175 having been made for Brazil supporters. But the biggest winners are television sets, with the sector reportedly seeing business worth over Rs 300 crore.
