Battala – printing, publication, pornography … and penmanship. The “Gora Sahibs” were concentrated in their White Town around Fort William – down Chowringhee, all the way to Park Street. The natives were huddled in the squalor, as the river flowed, both up and down, in what was variously, contemptuously called
Fountain pens in India – Myths debunked and the much-requested SWOT of the industry Did you know that India is the third-largest producer of fountain pens globally? That fountain pen usage, although niche, is a significant segment, with likely under 20% of literate adults (that is about 20 % of
The Chennai Pen Show 2026 – Rahul Gupta & Pen Galaxy Rahul Gupta has been quietly carving out a niche for himself as a dealer of antique and vintage writing instruments for close to a decade now. He had started what he calls “this learning process” and has, with resolute
The Chennai Pen Show 2026 – a trip to Gama The journey of Gem & Co, makers of the now-revered Gama Pens, “officially” started in 1928, in Parry’s Corner, Madras. However, if one considers the fact that the late M. C. Cunnan, the founder, had started making pens almost a
The Chennai Pen Show 2026 – Ranga Pens The story of Ranga Pens is decades old. In fact, it all started when M S Pandurangan started turning pens in Thiruvallur, which is about 45 km from Chennai, India. The year was 1970. Ranga has been through it all – the ups and
Hello fountain pen friends! In 2022 when it was announced that Sheaffer Pen Company would be under new leadership and ownership, having been purchased by William Penn, the distinguished Retailer of top-of-the-line writing instruments, I was very happy to learn of this news—the iconic Sheaffer name and products were now
The 7th Inked Happiness Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon Nikil Ranjan on August 1st, 2025, at the Eastern Metropolitan Club, Kolkata, in a solemn ceremony. The Award recognizes lives dedicated to the cause of fountain pens and inks, and has in the past been won by the Late Dr Bibek Debroy, Prof. K C
The 7th Inked Happiness Lifetime Achievement Award will be conferred upon Mr. Nikil Ranjan on August 1st, 2025, at the Metropolitan Bypass Club, Kolkata. The Award recognizes lives dedicated to the cause of fountain pens and inks, and has in the past been won by the Late Dr Bibek Debroy
I grew up with Sulekha ink blotches on the shirt pockets of my school uniform. It was a kind of “badge of honour,” like the ink-stained fingers and callouses on the fiddle finger, that on a deep subconscious level reassured us that we were giving our studies all that was
The final of the ICC Champions Trophy was on 9th March 2025. And India was playing. Naturally, organisers and participants alike were a bit skeptical, fearing that cricket will keep the crowds glued to their sets at home, affecting footfall at the Chennai Pen Show. Not unjustified, considering that cricket
Starmark is undoubtedly a “go-to” destination for bibliophiles, stationery lovers, and increasingly, fountain pen and ink aficionados in Kolkata. Naturally, when Starmark celebrates its 25th year, the city sits up to take note. As someone who has spent half my life browsing and buying from the different Starmark outlets, I
Is there a sudden spurt in religious-themed fountain pens in India? Are most major boutique manufacturers draping their holy cloaks around them in an act of reverence and presenting the image of one popular incarnation after the other because of some sacred compulsion? Has flaunting one’s faith somehow become the
