A ten-day Deepavali carnival in Bayan Lepas has turned a festive marketplace into a launch pad for small traders, with nearly all of its vendors selling at such an event for the first time.
The Penang Jom Jom Deepavali Carnival 2026 features about 45 stalls, and close to 95 per cent of the traders behind them are making their debut at a Deepavali carnival, according to The Malaysian Reserve.
The event, which runs until 7 November, gives small and medium enterprises, home-based businesses and new entrepreneurs a place to show their products, meet shoppers and reach a wider market.
Penang Indian Business Organisation president Dr Kugilan Pushpanathan said many of the first-time vendors had run their operations from home or sold online, and had never taken part in a carnival before, Bernama reported.
“Our intention is to give small vendors an opportunity to step out and introduce their products to the public. Some have been operating from home or online, but have never had the chance to participate in a carnival like this. We want them to gain exposure and experience, rather than focusing solely on making profits from the event,” he said.
Kugilan, who is also chief executive officer and founder of Key Global Network Sdn Bhd, said the carnival is targeting about 10,000 visitors across its programme, after nearly 2,000 people turned up on opening day.
He said the line-up also carries traditional music performances, local artistes and a stage for aspiring singers who came through auditions, so the carnival covers culture as well as commerce.
Among the vendors is 16-year-old Aesvan Arvind, who sells decorative lights and traditional Indian biscuits. He said the outdoor setting and its location gave traders better visibility than indoor events, and that shoppers had backed the stalls.
“The response has been good, with more people coming than we initially expected. This provides a good platform for us to sell our products face-to-face to customers,” he said.
Batu Uban assemblyman A Kumaresan said the carnival let new entrepreneurs, start-ups and small traders introduce their goods directly to consumers, and that it mattered for drawing more members of the Indian community into business.
He said participants could also explore ways to grow with support from agencies including the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) and the National Entrepreneurial Group Economic Fund (Tekun).
Kugilan thanked the Penang state government, including Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, for backing what he described as the state’s first and largest Deepavali carnival. He said he hopes the event becomes an annual fixture that gives small businesses and emerging talent a lasting platform.
The carnival was officially opened by Deputy National Unity Minister R Yuneswaran.
