Pune: Shop owners in Pune saw a rise in demand for mobile phones after schools started conducting online classes due to the COVID-19 lockdown.
Excluding the capital Mumbai, an average of 7 to 8 lakh mobile phones has been sold every month in Maharashtra.
Pune district alone has sold more than three lakh mobile phones in a month. There are 4,500 mobile vendors in Pune district and the highest number of vendors are in Pimpri-Chinchwad and Baramati and these areas have a large number of schools and private classes.
"The demand for mobile phones has increased since May. In June, 15 lakh mobile phones were sold in the state excluding Mumbai," said Ajit Jagtap, Maharashtra President of the All India Mobile Retailers Association.
However, the government have given a set of relaxation for schools under unlock 5.0 but the parents and teachers prefer to continue online classes for this session keeping the safety of students in mind.
Many parents have tried their best to buy a smartphone as education of their wards is important which has benefited mobile vendors, with the highest sales of 1.5 million mobiles in a month in the state.
A month before the lockdown, 8 to 10 lakh mobiles were being sold in the state, excluding Mumbai. But, as online education began after the lockdown, the business of selling mobile boomed.
"Not everyone can afford to buy a laptop or a computer as a result, the demand for mobiles increased. Consumers prefer mobile purchases between Rs 7,000 and Rs 15,000," said Sudhir Waghmode, Pune District President, All India Mobile Retailers Association.
"I have two children in my house and I have bought a new mobile for my children using which both of them are learning," said Sonal Kodare, a parent.
"Three of my children are studying and one of them lives in a rural area. I bought a new mobile phone for him", said Surekha Kadam, another parent.
The government started online schools so that students would not suffer an academic loss. Despite difficult times, parents had to buy new mobiles for their children.
