Linc pens have been there for every Calcuttan for the past 45 years. Endorsed initially by cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, this Kolkata-based company built by Deepak Jalan is a reminder of how starting small can help gradually build a business to clock a turnover of Rs. 400 crores annually.
Even in this era of digitization, pen and paper will never be forgotten. Every note and scribble is etched with the mark of a pen and Linc’s affordability and ease of availability has helped many consumers have 1 or 2 of the brand’s pieces lying around in cases of emergency. Linc has been one of the fastest-growing brands since 1976 and also caters to other varieties of stationery products including markers, geometry boxes, erasers, and pencils.
How did Linc’s Journey begin?
Founded by Deepak’s father in the 1960s, he realized that pens would never go out of hand at that time whether it comes to a school or college student’s life. Hence, this entrepreneurial idea struck him instantly and Linc was born. Ballpoint pens were easier to manage in comparison to fountain pens that were too messy to handle. With Linc, Deepak’s father wanted to make these everyday essentials affordable.
If you see the pen thoroughly, you will observe that the quality of the material used to make the tip is different from other brands. Deepak’s father wanted materials that were worth their price and comfortable to use while jotting down notes. Linc derives its pen tip from Switzerland and the ink from Germany after partnering with 2 of his friends in the 1970s who were in the pen business.
The first-ever Linc Ball pen was sold for Rs. 2 only! This was followed by the launch of the gel range in 2002 after which the company approached various schools to provide children with gel-ink pens rather than fountain pens. The brand was an instant hit.
Today, Linc is available in more than 1.5 lakh stores across India ranging from small retail shops to big outlets all over the country. It completed its 45th year in 2020, clocking a turnover of Rs. 400 crores. Linc competes with other stationery brands like Reynolds, Pentatonic, Deli, and Markline and has a 10% market share only.
Deepak also maintains that Linc’s brand identity is very important in keeping up with the trends of the years and competing with other brands to stay at the top. Hence, the company tries to constantly innovate new ranges and kinds of pen tips to help create segregation that will appeal to the customers.
We hope Linc continues to cater to the mass public of India in creating usable pens that will remain an indispensable part of everyone’s lives, despite the times.
Source: YourStory
