MAM
Linc Pen spent Rs 44 crores in advertising & promotion in last 5 years
Linc Pen, a leading stationery player in India, in its twenty-fifth annual general meeting disclosed that the brand had spent nearly Rs 44 crores in advertising and promotions in the last five years.
Linc Pen MD & CEO Deepak Jalan stated that the company achieved the best ever result in FY20 despite the loss of sales in the last few weeks. “Revenue grew by 9 per cent to close at almost Rs. 400 crore. EBIDTA margin was in double-digit at 10.3 per cent. PAT of Rs. 19.25 crore registered a healthy jump of 273.8 per cent over a lower base of Rs.5.15 Crore in the previous year. The board recommended a dividend of Rs. 1.50 per share, same as last year, in view of unprecedented challenges ahead in FY21.”
However, Jalan stated that going by the current scenario, the brand may witness at least 70-80 per cent of FY20 sales by the end of FY21.
“Turnover at Rs. 27.52 crore, was about one further of normal levels. For the first time ever, we registered a negative PAT of Rs 3.99 crore. Company’s April and May sales were washed out because of the nationwide lockdown. Our factories were closed for 28 days, and thereafter, gradual resumption started once the lockdown was lifted in a phased manner,” adds Jalan.
Jalan further mentioned that the company saw sales come back to more than 50 per cent levels of what it reported in the same month last fiscal (June 2019).
He also cited that the writing instruments industry has been severely affected by the Covid2019 as it has resulted in the closure of educational institutions and commercial establishments operating with lower physical attendance, which has clearly impacted the demand for writing instruments. The situation is similar all over the globe, with trade disruptions and lockdowns in several countries.
Linc Pens has an aggressive plan to enhance the organizations retail footprints from 65000 retail touchpoints to about half a million, helping the brand to embark upon a multi-year growth journey.
The stationery brand in past has launched several campaigns and even did ad films with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
The stationery products market garnered revenue of 109.5 billion dollars in the year 2019 globally and has been foreseen to yield USD 154.1 billion by the year 2027 at a CAGR of 4.6 per cent over the forecast period.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
