The new earning mantra: grow hair

Hair today, gone tomorrow. Of course, but it will for sure fetch some foreign revenue so long as it is the result of the horizontal movement of the metal extensions on the barber’s hands called the scissors. If it is natural and gradual then hold your head in dismay and resign to your baldness.

For now it is time to let your hair down. For India’s hair exports for the year last year stood at $70.26 million and it is rising. The top three importers of hair from India are China, Hong Kong and Tunisia. Italy, Brazil and the US are the others.

And if you are the religious kind making your annual trip to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh then take heart. The hair you offer to the deity fetches the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam an annual revenue of $6.9 million from exports. Hair from Tirupati fetched Rs 4.5 crore in March, up by 15%. It is expected to cross Rs 12 crore in May-end.

They call it black gold there. And they guard it like gold. the hair that devotees leave behind are collected and kept away safely in lockers that would put the ones in RBI to shame.

Commission agents from Eluru, Bangalore and Chennai make a visit after every two and half months to make bids for the hair that the temple authorities auction. A kilo of ‘first grade’ hair fetches Rs 8,000 on an average. The hairs are divided into four categories: 16 inch which is the top class, 8 inch, grey and small hair called thooku.

Hairs thus bought are then taken to factories, the biggest of which is in Eluru, in any of these places and washed. It is then treated after separation and smoked and packed in locks. Two hundred strands of a 16 inch hair would make one pack and would fetch 30 cents if it is sold to buyers in Italy and $1.5 in the US.

Tirupathi hair is in great demand in Italy. It is also the favourite of Hollywood stars whose wigs are made hair supplied from India via Italy. Companies like UK’s Racoon International uses Indian hair to make their hair extension products. They used Indian hair for Samantha Morton’s hairdo in the film Enduring Love.

What companies like Raccon do is process and strips the cuticle off the hair they buy from India. What was once black and straight, may become blonde and curly. Though, Tirupati hair needs more aftercare, says the company, it is less expensive than the European equivalent and can look equally fantastic.

Most of it was bought from Indian agents by Italian firm Great Length International. Imports and exports of hair have no specific restrictions. Says minister of state for commerce and industry EVKS Elangovan:

“It can be done freely.” And it should be after all there is something ‘divine’ about this trade. Mythology has it that Vishnu borrowed money from Kuber to meet his extravagant wedding expenses. And devotees go to Tirupati and have their hair cut to repay the money owed to Kuber.