Sulekha & Lotus – it takes two to Tango! скачать в хорошем качестве

Sulekha & Lotus – it takes two to Tango!

Lotus is making exclusive lines of fountain pens for Sulekha, in a move that has the potential to shake the status quo of the Industry. Kaushik Maitra and Arun Singhi are looking to the future and if initial indications are anything to go by, the fireworks are about to begin. It is not every day that a legacy ink maker declares a collaboration with a pen-turner with an equally impressive credential. And yes, they are not restricting their dreams within India, proposing to bolster their global presence progressively. I was fortunate to catch up with the yet-to-be-launched offsprings of this union and am happy to bring the “Kosi” featuring imported blanks, Jowo nibs, and Schmidt converters and the “Thames”—with Conway Stewart blanks and the popular Jowo-Schmidt combination. Both lines feature six colour variants, have co-branded clips, sport standardised jewellery, and bear the unmistakable stamp of Lotus craftsmanship. A third line featuring a piston filler is on the anvil I am being told. And yes, all nib options will be made available. Two iconic brands, staking individual reputations on a single pen – now that is a certain plus, methinks! The conversation was free-flowing and we broached several topics that I feel will be of interest to the fountain pen fraternity. Kaushik Maitra also made the clarion call for the industry to come together for more such collaborative efforts where individual brands can focus on their strengths while reaping the benefits of scale by moving in unison to tap the emerging global demand. And yes, such a move will also lead to the ability of the industry to invest more in Research & Development, something that scattered and fractured as we are today, is largely beyond us individually. It was also a walk down memory lane of sorts– we learnt of a time in the 1980s when Arun Singhi had his operations in Kolkata before moving out. We also learnt how, around the same time, Sulekha was on the verge of tying up with Pelikan– a move that was thwarted by labour troubles in its factory. That Sulekha is daring to dream the same dreams after a forced hiatus of three decades of lost opportunities, is in itself a fascinating fact. Indeed, the Sulekha resurgence is stuff that legends are made of. Fighting liquidation proceedings, the brand made its reappearance in a market where fountain pens and inks were an anachronism. Undeterred, it has pushed on, stressing more on creating the market, than on pushing its products alone, and it would not be an exaggeration to state that the gung-ho revival tales that we are hearing today, are a result, to a very great extent, of Sulekha’s unwavering efforts. And let me add: all this while introducing a bewildering number of inks in the process. Little wonder that the story of Sulekha doing the phoenix is gist to so many management case studies. There is a niche towards the top end of the fountain pen market where impeccably crafted writing instruments, featuring the best, near-generic inputs are in high demand. These pens are aimed at this segment and I am sure that connoisseurs and aficionados alike – Calamophiles all, will embrace them with the same enthusiasm with which they are being created. Imported blanks, nib-feed combination and jewellery, turned in India. Isn’t Sulekha diluting its Swadeshi credentials by paying obeyance to popular demand? Kaushik Maitra begs to differ. “We have to incorporate the best inputs in order to be globally relevant, especially in a world order where the economies are well integrated. However, this does not mean that we are shifting away from our core values of Swdeshi, Sustainability, self-sufficiency, or student centricity. Our research efforts are in full swing and we are confident of progressively moving towards complete in-house products. In inks, we continue to be completely swadeshi and sustainable. In pens too, we are striving towards such an end. You must appreciate that marrying limited resources with a commitment to perfection is not an easy task, that too in the short term. However, Sulekha has never been deterred by obstacles and we are confident of achieving a breakout shortly. Watch this space. I have a feeling that this will mark a tectonic shift in the fountain pen and ink industry in India.