The Ludhiana residents considered Calibre Plaza, the city’s first air-conditioned market opposite Bhadaur

House, quite a wonder at the time of its completion about ten years ago. For the townsfolk, it was another landmark in the history of the town.

Not only for the city residents, the market also became a centre of attraction for numerous people belonging to the nearby villages and towns who just paid a curious visit to the market to witness the wonder of cars going up five floor in a huge elevator and of course, the escalator. School students from neighbouring towns led by their teachers, especially came to the city on Sunday tours to visit the market as inquisitive tourists.

But the novelty is wearing out gradually. Of late, there has been a noticeable decline in the number of groups of school children being taken around the market by equally enthusiastic teachers.

Most of the shops on various floors of the market still remain unoccupied because, in spite of being the cleanest market of the city, retail trade has not picked up. There were only a few cloth wholesalers in the beginning. Then arrived wholesalers and retailers of medicines, readymade garments, audiocassettes and so on. But it is still far from being a complete market where one can buy virtually everything. Though a complete range of readymade wear is available at a number of shops, there is no shoe shop yet in the market. A number of other trades are also missing yet. Nevertheless shopkeepers are hopeful that sooner or later the market would be able to cater to every shopping requirement of the customers.

Trade in the market is slowly picking up and the shopkeepers are optimistic about a bright future ahead. Nobody is grumbling.