Arun Singhi, Lotus pens, and the state of the industry

Arun Singhi is by far the most respected name in the Indian fountain pen turning domain. Similarly, this creation – Lotus is there in the sky among the stars, insofar as Indian fountain pens go. The octogenarian grand-dad of the industry is suffering from failing health, and therefore, it is a pleasure seeing him manning the Lotus counter. His daughters are slowly being inducted into the business, and the Chennai Pen Show earlier in the year had an even bigger surprise in the form of his granddaughter, who was busy learning the ropes (or is it resins)?
Lotus was one of the early movers into the Indian hand-turned pens segment that typically feature resin bodies, and come fitted with imported Jowo (or sometimes Peter Bock or Schmidt) nibs and converters. Kanwrite nibs too, are often featured. This segment has now evolved and mostly sports a complete nib-feed section that is screwed in making the entire process even more integrated. Naturally, such pens create less fuss in the writer’s hands and are highly regarded for their almost glitch-free performance. Needless to say, they are highly coveted both locally and abroad, markets where Lotus has painstakingly created a niche with users who swear by them. It will not be an exaggeration to say that Lotus is the undisputed leader in this segment, and its premium pricing notwithstanding, the buyers are generally satisfied with its offerings.
On the flip side, hardcore fountain pen aficionados point out that with standardization has come monotonous uniformity, where all pens mostly write the same. Somehow, the romance of breaking in a new nib is gone, and some extreme users go so far as to rue the absence of burping and false starts, hard, scratchy writing even! But while I sympathize with such feelings, I must concede that to make fountain pens popular among the youngsters such standardization is inevitable, necessary even. As for burping, well, I do miss it occasionally, but would rather have a clean page, sans the ink drops.
What makes Lotus stand head and shoulders above the competition, even with the same / similar inputs, are many things: their products are pure eye candies that are aesthetic to boot; the craftsmanship is impeccable; and the after-sales service is without parallel. Arun Singhi, one can easily vouch for, the most affable and approachable seller that is there, always eager to address customer queries. It can also be added that the prolificity with which Lotus turns out new models never fails to stun the audience.
It was a pleasure meeting the old man and his family at the Chennai Pen Show. We talked pens, we talked about the state of the industry, and we patted each other’s backs for travelling so far towards the common destination, one where we make fountain pens and inks more popular with generations that follow ours.
If you want me to feature more pens from Lotus, please write in the comments. Please feel free to post questions about Lotus to Arun Singhi should you so desire. And happy penning!
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