Kochi to host Kerala’s first carboot sale in November

Kochi: Come November, Kochi will be hosting  'carboot sales', a marketing event popular across the world. Kochi-based startup Diagun Ventures is organising the event in association with Kochi Corporation and the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA). The organisers said it is the first-of-its-kind event in the state.

The carboot sale will be held at the exhibition ground of Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium from November 3 to 5 and henceforth will be a weekly event. The announcement was made jointly by GCDA Chairman K Chandran Pillai and Diagun Ventures Managing Director Philip Pulikkavil here recently. Hibi Eden MP, Kochi Metro MD Loknath Behra and Corporator Deepthi Mary Varghese also attended the announcement event.

The logo of the carboot sale was released by film actor and director Anoop Menon by handing over it to actor Gouri Nanda. A demonstration with 11 cars was held as part of the event announcement. 

The organisers expect sellers to turn up with 500 cars carrying the items to be sold in the November event, Diagun Venture's MD Philip Pulikkavil said. 

The carboot market will be active from 9 am to 11 pm. Individuals and institutions can take part in the sales. Sellers can take part free of cost since the event is being organised on an experimental basis. Interested sellers should register in advance. Over 1 lakh customers are expected at the event.

The carboot sale is aimed at facilitating an opportunity for small and medium industries as well as street vendors to sell their products legally. The event also aims to use the stadium more creatively and increase the income from it. 

"If the event, which is aimed at helping small-scale sellers and street vendors, becomes a success, we will consider continuing with the programme," GCDA Chairman K Chandran Pillai said.

"If you have a product to sell and also a car, you can take your product directly to the customers in this event. The event will also help reduce to an extent the discrimination street vendors face and also to control the rush in the city," Jiji Pulikkavil said.

People from all walks of life are expected to attend the event since a carboot market has all the elements of a mega industrial exhibition.

Nehru stadium is accessible from all parts of the city as it is close to Kochi Metro station. Food stalls and art performances will be arranged as part of the event. Caricature artists, mentalists, film and TV actors and popular vloggers will attend the event.