Showroom in CP, godown in Guangzhou
If airlines are gearing up to fly six flights between India-China daily, from one a day at present, it’s not because guys carrying diplomatic passports or Gucci briefcases are zipping back and forth.
The real frequent flyers between India and China are those who fly economy, can’t afford to eat at Indian restaurants in China or stay in plush hotels. They run small businesses in India and scour Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other cities on the mainland for electronics, electricals, machinery, plastics, toys, leather, garments and consumer goods.
Meet Gaurav Chhabra, who deals in mobile-phone accessories and travels to China every two months: “I stay in Guangzhou for a month at a stretch at times. I can’t afford hotels. So, I’ve rented an apartment. Sourcing goods from China gives me a competitive advantage.”
Is he homesick? “The neighbourhood I live in has five Indian restaurants. I am quite comfortable in China,” says Chhabra.
He’s among thousands who travel to China every year for business. Last year, 70,000 visas were issued to Indians. This year till March, as many as 10,000 visas were issued, remarkable because February, when the Chinese celebrate the new year, is a lean period for business.
Some of these people will live in China for long periods, some virtually live there — one brother running the business in India, the other sourcing stuff from China. The dragon has hit desi markets and the Karol Bagh, Ghaffar Market or Bhagirath Palace businessman has invaded China’s cities.
Bhagirath Palace-based acoustic expert Aman Gupta has travelled to China 65 times in the last six years. He has bought office space in Shanghai. “It’s important for building credibility,” he says. Like him, hundreds of small businessmen are renting or buying property in Shanghai, Guangzhou and Guzhen.