Consumer goods firms expect bumper sales in new year

The govt increased the customs duty on internationally-manufactured television sets and set-top boxes to 20%

The Indian consumer durables industry is expecting bumper sales in 2018 because of dual impact of an increase in customs duty on imported consumer goods and the roll-out of the goods and services tax (GST), which has reduced their costs substantially.

On December 15, the government increased the customs duty on internationally-manufactured television sets and set-top boxes to 20 per cent. While these have necessitated a price rise from global players like Apple, who manufacture goods abroad, it has also given a massive fillip to domestic makers such as LG, Samsung, Videocon, and Dixon who are encouraged to expand capacity under