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 is the national pastime, more than a religion in India. But lo! The masses kept coming in throngs, wave after wave of pen and ink aficionados, even as records continued to shatter. On the ultimate day, the Chennai Pen Show turned in numbers that make it, in terms of footfall, the biggest pen show of its kind – in the world!
And there is reason for it all – the organisers leave no stones unturned (or, is it that they leave no pens unfilled?) to ensure a hassle-free experience for exhibitors and the visitors. Their attention to detail is phenomenal, and the fact that their philosophy does not restrict them to only pursuing profits by all possible means, makes the difference. Mark my words, I have attended many a pen show, and I strongly feel that this is reason enough behind the success story that is enacted in Chennai.
There were forty plus exhibitors who had spread out writing instruments, inks, and accessories from a hundred and fifty brands around the world. The result was a veritable feast for the penophiles, and they lapped up the opportunity. Said Kaushik Maitra, the Managing Director of Sulekha, India’s oldest Swadeshi Ink Maker, who is participating in the show since its inception, “the Chennai crowd is simply phenomenal – they are extremely knowledgeable, polite to a fault, and are ever willing to pay the price to acquire what they desire. This year we had brought in twice the stock that we had gotten last year, but were still sold out by the second day. Credit must also be given to the organisers for ensuring such a smooth and seamless banquet of events.”
Industry leaders ranging from Nikhil Ranjan (owner of William Penn and Sheaffer), to Kaushik Maitra of Sulekha, Arun Singhi of Lotus, Harsh Gagwani of Click, Hiro Motwani of Beena / V’Sign, the Awasthi brothers of Kanpur Writers (Kanwrite), Pandurangan of Ranga, Yusuf Mansoor of Say FP were all there – each a mine of information about the industry, each ever willing to share their knowledge with the aficionados. The amount of business that was transacted between the brands and the collaborations that were thrashed out, can only be left to conjecture, but the fact remains – the Chennai Pen Show 2025 accorded an excellent platform for the industry to meet, greet and join hands for the greater good.
The Show had also attracted overseas participation with Juspirit Studio from Taiwan exhibiting an eclectic spread of inks and writing instruments. Their stacked nibs had many a jaw agape while the pen handles, exclusively crafted and embodying Persian art, were an immediate conversation starter. Not to be left behind was St Dupont, who had a droolworthy collection that was laid out for the connoisseurs to browse.
Rahul Gupta from Kolkata and Dhruva Jain from Mumbai had huge collections of antique and vintage writing instruments and accessories which drew their own crowd of dedicated, ensuring that their stalls were never empty. That Rahul was also buying old pens, providing many with an exit opportunity was something that was lauded by visitors at the show. This year too, Endless had its 3D printing machine installed and running, from where they not only created pens on demand, but also enlightened many a curious visitor about this exciting technology and its applications. Dr YV Prakash with his curated collection of Japanese accessories under the Bumbo banner also generated a huge interest among the visitors.
Kanwrite – the behemoth nib manufacturer from middle India was represented by the next generation – cousins Apoorv and Tarun Awasthi were also there with their full range. Of special interest was their music nib with two tines, another first in India. Oscar, another brand that some of us remember from the yesteryears was also there at the show, which was a kind of nostalgic extra.
I will fail in my duties if I do not mention Sidhant Nichani, the educator-in-chief at KWS, who handled the caffeine cravings of visitors and exhibitors alike for all the three days. That, the simple act of brewing coffee can be elevated to an art form, and so much of loving care can be showered on a single cup, had to be experienced firsthand to be believed. Two rounds of applause are certainly due here – one to Siddhant, the other to the organisers for letting him loose, beans, and steamers piping!
As side events – a calligraphy and a nib tuning workshop were organised, and both achieved their desired effect, considering the kind of participation they had. The Maestro, Prof K C Janardhan, noted calligraphy exponent, was ecstatic, “it is good to see the Chennai Pen Shows taking the lead in spreading awareness about good handwriting and working to ensure the development of the cult of calligraphy.” Also remarkable was the presence of stars from the film world, whose love for writing was simply amazing.There were many new launches as well – Sulekha leading the way by launching their Akashik Ink in a shade aptly named Namagiri Neelam to commemorate the man who saw infinity, Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar. The formal launch was done by Prof Madhu Krishna and Prof K C Janardhan. noted media personality Jennifer Arul was also present and launched the K C Janardhan singature ink.
Aditya Bhansali, the ever-affable man behind the show, summed it all up when he said, “I am grateful to the people of Chennai for their active participation, the exhibitors for their spirited presence, and to all concerned from the industry who showed a rare level of camaraderie, which came together to make the show what it is. Thank you for making the Chennai Pen Show 2025 the biggest in the world till date.” As for the business that was transacted at the show – well, keep guessing!