Barbers in Maharashtra will hike grooming service charges by 20% starting Saturday . Rising costs for materials,blamed partly on Iran-U.S. tensions in West Asia,force the move .
Shyam Askarkar from Maharashtra Nabhik Mahamandal in Nagpur said haircuts will now be ₹180,shavings ₹120. Prices for other services also rise: beard trims ₹150,head massages ₹180,hair washes ₹120. Facials start at ₹700,hair spas at ₹600.
Askarkar said the hike was necessary given soaring operational costs and global uncertainties hitting salons hard. "Usually,we adjust rates in January after two years. This time we had to do it mid-term because of steep increases in prices of salon materials," he said.
Over 100,000 barber shops operate in Maharashtra. But not premium or luxury salons,where haircuts start at ₹500. These changes echo larger economic strains…
