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In the ’50s, the famous Parker Pen Company was looking for an Indian partner. The Chellaram family of Karnataka was already doing business with the American company in Africa. When they were approached by the company to handle the Indian leg of Parker, they agreed.
The only condition was that the Chellaram family wouldn’t run the day-to-day administration. So, the marriage of Parker and Chellaram resulted in the birth of Chelpark, with an office set up in Bangalore (now Bengaluru).
The credit for brand success goes to the company’s ink quality and the nib of Chelpark pens. It had anti-clogging, non-corrosive ink that was considered good even for premium ink pens. Everyone was using it — from the elite to school-going children.
The two Chelpark fountain pens that stood out were called Moti and Sona.
There was a time when every home in India had a bottle of ink and Chelpark was it. The joy of writing with a fountain pen, the process of filling ink and trying out calligraphy added to Chelpark’s charm.
There was a time when every home in India had a bottle of ink and Chelpark was it. The joy of writing with a fountain pen, the process of filling ink and trying out calligraphy added to Chelpark’s charm.
When Chelpark was launched in India, the advertisement had to show that this was a new brand. The ad showed the Parker sticker peeling off from the bottle to reveal the logo of Chelpark. It was an instant hit.
Chelpark didn’t have to invest too much in TV or print advertising. Instead, they emphasised on-ground advertising. School essay competitions, demonstrations to teachers, campus activities helped Chelpark grow its brand.
Most of us remember waiting to be promoted to fourth or fifth standard in school because we would be allowed to use ink pens. And even though it was messy, it’s what ‘adulting’ was about — learning not to mess up.
Today, Chelpark ink and pens are only available with collectors, fountain pen enthusiasts and select stores hidden in the corners of metropolises. On e-sites like Amazon a bottle of ink that once cost Rs 18, is sold for Rs 450.
No one knows exactly when the pens and inks disappeared from the shelves — but the emergence of the ballpoint pen and student-friendly gel pens certainly added to its death. First, the pens disappeared, then the inks. Parker had pulled out of Chelpark much earlier.
