Business · 2026-10-19 · Morning briefing
New Delhi protests slash festive sales by two-thirds
Protests and police crackdowns in New Delhi have devastated sales at the start of India's festive season. Traders in the capital report that sales are down by two-thirds, with customer footfall less than half of last year's levels. The Confederation of All India Traders, an industry body, warns that prolonged disruption puts business transactions worth 4 billion rupees ($42 million) at risk each day.
The demonstrations, led by opposition parties and youth activists, are directed at the Chief Election Commissioner over allegations that electoral rolls are being manipulated to favour Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. In response, Delhi Police have erected barricades and, on October 11th, moved the official protest site away from the central Jantar Mantar area, further disrupting commerce.
The situation pits two fundamental rights against each other. As Praveen Khandelwal, secretary general of the traders' confederation, stated: "The right to protest and the right to trade are both integral to a functioning democracy."
Summary written by Cup of News with AI from the sources below. Check the originals for the full story.
Read the sources
- Delhi: Protests hit festive sales; traders warn of massive losses
- Delhi protests hit festive trade: Retailers report 90% footfall drop; traders seek curbs on demonstrations
- Crowds throng New Delhi and wave Indian flags amid escalating protests
- Protests Escalate in Delhi Despite Modi Government’s Heavy-handed Crackdown
- Indian Police Round Up Protest Leaders and Lock Down Delhi
Ten stories, twice a day. Calm, no notifications.
Get the appMore stories in this edition
- Russian missile waves kill one, injure eight in Kyiv
- Widespread riots in France lead to 2,000 arrests
- Four dead, 39 injured in fire at Canadian military base
- WFP slashes Gaza food aid, citing $450m shortfall
- JPMorgan to offer US dollar deposit token on Ethereum
- Anthropic grants safety watchdog 'employee-like' access
- Tokyo's Nikkei 225 pares losses after tech-led drop
- Indian opposition leaders remain in custody after magistrate recuses self
- Indian chemical firms partner abroad to enter chip market