The pen is still mightier than the keyboard
kolkata — Digitisation and the widespread adoption of electronic devices have not dented the market for writing instruments. The industry, which registered a sales growth of about 12 per cent last year, is expected to grow by double digits in the current year as well, stakeholders said.
In fact, pen manufacturers remain bullish on writing their growth story and are betting on increasing literacy in a developing country like India.
A recent study by Euromonitor International showed writing instruments registered “current retail value growth of 12 per cent in 2016” to reach Rs4,100 crore ($616 million). Pens, which remain the largest category within the industry, accounted for 67 per cent of retail value sales in 2016.
“In the last few years, the keyboard, keypad, touchscreen have become the preferred writing instruments for students and professionals. Are they replacing the traditional pen and pencils? The
Are [digital tools] replacing the traditional pen and pencils? The answer is no. At least in the next 20 years Deepak Jalan, MD and CEO of Linc Pen and Plastics
answer is no. At least in the next 20 years, I do not think there will be any threat from increasing digitisation,” Linc Pen and Plastics managing director and CEO Deepak Jalan told IANS. “In volume terms, the market grew about six to seven per cent last year and a similar trend is also expected in the current year. In value terms, at least a 10 per cent growth in writing instruments is expected in 2017,” he said, adding that the growing literate population will lead to higher consumption of pens and pencils.
In the 2011 census, India’s literacy rate was put at 74.04 per cent, up by about 8.66 per cent from the previous census. Compared to the adult literacy rate, the youth literacy rate was about nine per cent higher. Shreyansh Kocheri, an analyst with the research firm Euromonitor International, told
IANS that electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets and portable computers did not impact sales of writing instruments in 2016. “There are, however, an increasing number of government programmes that provide public school students with free school materials, including notebooks, pens and pencils, among other items, which limit overall sales of such products in retail channels.”
“More and more digitisation is happening, but people are still appreciating the benefits of writing by using pen or pencil on paper. Just as using electronic devices for writing e-mails, WhatAapp and SMS, a lot of people are valuing the written words, realising that notes in black and white create a lot more impact,” William Penn’s CEO Nikhil Ranjan told IANS.
Apart from the daily needs, the psychology of attaching greater value to the written material is still driving growth for the industry.
There is enough research and it has been proved that people remember hand written words and notes more vividly, Ranjan added.
Not only has there been technological advancement in the digitisation space; new technologies in pen industry usher more durability with long-lasting ink and smoother tips. A writing instrument is no longer limited to a quill and a bottle of ink — it has got roller ball and ballpoint pens, besides the traditional fountain pens.
“These writing instruments make writing easy. These pens are long-lasting. Kudos to technological improvement where the kind of raw material, metals and inks used while manufacturing these pens make it more consumer friendly,” Jalan said. —