Truck body builders struggle to wade through ongoing economic slowdown

A 50 per cent slump in CV sales has dealt a death blow to informal workers in the sector

The dingy office in Abdul Qadeer’s truck building workshop on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border has an old, shabby desk and a Koryo television set that costs Rs 10,000. Though his preferred brand is Samsung, Qadeer went for the cheaper brand of television because the slump in his business is forcing him to cut costs wherever he can.  

A truck cabin maker named Ravi, one of his service providers, comes in to check if there is any new work order. Until last year, Ravi, who charges Rs 4,500 per cabin assembly, used to turn out five cabins a month. These days he