Match box to become costlier, price doubled for the 1st time in 14 years

Oct. 24: After a period of 14 years, the All India Chamber of Matches in Sivakasi has decided to increase the cost of matchboxes. From December 1, the cost of a matchbox will be doubled from Rs 1 to Rs 2. The last hike in prices was in the year 2007 when the rate of a single box was increased from 50 paise to Rs 1. Prior to that, in 1995, the cost of matchbox was increased from 25p to 50p.

The price of a matchbox is expected to climb to double the amount it is today, as the cost of raw materials increases due to the growing inflation. The materials which are used to make a matchstick include Red Phosphorus, wax, paper, splint, potassium chlorate and many more. The cost of Red Phosphorus has risen from Rs 425 to Rs 810, whereas wax now costs from Rs 58 to Rs 80. Meanwhile, the price of the exterior containerboard has risen from Rs 36 to Rs 55 and the price of the inside boxed board has risen from Rs 32 to Rs 58. Other components necessary to construct a matchbox, like potassium chlorate, and sulphur, and many others, had also risen in value in October 2021.

The state of Tamil Nadu is a major supplier of matchboxes across the country and is also a leading exporter. In the state, at least 320 manufacturing units of various sizes and over 1500-job work units function providing jobs to more than 4 lakh people both directly and indirectly of which women constitute 90 percent of the workforce. The origin of the safety match factories dates back to 1922 when two workers Ayya Nadar and Shanmuga Nadar set up the first factories at Sivakasi.