Black Knight HB

About Madras Pencil Factory

Began as the "Government Pencil Factory" at Korukkupet in southern India in 1908.  Wood was initially imported from East Africa for the pencils, and the advertisements for these pencils were done with a strong nationalist slant, given that India was a British colony at that time.  The goal was to start creating their own goods in India, such as pencils, instead of exporting raw materials to Britain, and exporting back the finished goods to India, all as part of the Swadeshi Movement to develop Indian nationalism, removing the British Empire from power, and improving the economic conditions in India by becoming more self-reliant in developing their own goods. The Government of Madras operated the pencil factory until 1918 and then put it up for sale.  Perumal Chetty's family clan wound up purchasing this pencil factory, and the name would become "Madras Pencil Factory".  Pencils such as the Koh-i-noor brand, were manufactured and sold by V. Perumal Chetty & Sons under license from the Czech principals, until the factory closed in the 1990s.