The Indian stationery industry is built on the manufacture and trade of a wide range of paper products, writing instruments, computer and daily used stationery like staplers, erasers, binders, punch machine, children stationery and other related items rather than greeting cards, calendars or gift wrap. It is further divided into school stationery and office stationery. School stationery over a period has gained it's own importance in the market. It consists of a wide range of stationery used by teachers and student in the schools. It includes popular stationery products like notebooks, erasers, pencils, rulers, sharpeners, writing boards, exam boards, graph books, pencil boxes, geometry boxes, notebook covers, glue sticks, maps, children paper clips and binders, pencil grippers, calculators and many more to add to the list. These are available in different types, shapes, sizes and different price ranges in the market to suit every individual requirement. A child going to the school requires all these stationery for daily use in school. It could also be termed as the child's necessity as far as school is concern. It's industry captures a huge consumption in India whose sales seems to be increasing day by day due to the increasing government plans and policies of achieving total literacy in India. Previously their consumption was restricted to urban areas but with the free education, facilities in Rural India their consumption in the rural areas have increased tremendously. Its market today is flooded with manufacturers and suppliers, which is extremely fragmented. One essential indicator being the absence of a national brand or a chain of branded retail stores, as is the norm internationally. Here majority of the Industry's market hold is by the people manufacturing and supplying notebooks and other paper products which includes diaries, school calendars, note pads, long books, graph books etc to the schools and children.
Then the writing instrument industry seconds the market that includes products like different types of pencils, pen, sketch pen, markers etc, plays the second major role in the school stationery sector. Apart from that there are many other big and small companies selling other necessary products like erasers, scales, calculators, pencil boxes, geometry cases, writing board, art materials etc. First these companies had to face the competition only from cheap Chinese goods which were a threat to the Indian organized stationery sector, but with the advent of international brands like Faber Castle, Kores, Maped etc in the Indian market, the market has become highly competitive in both quality as well as price. Everyday this market is on its heels in creating new innovative products and ideas that would capture the notice and preference of their customers. It seems that it is the only tool left to survive in this competitive sector. Especially with the children targeted as their customer these stationery manufacturers should be well updated with the on going market trends, they should be aware of what is the latest happening in the children world, Which games or cartoon characters are the children currently fond of? What is the latest development in the education field? All this information will keep the manufacturers and suppliers at par with their customers likes and dislikes and eventually this will help boost the brand and create a good demand for the product in the market. It is seen that along with brand building techniques other factors like trade marketing & strengthening the distribution channels also helps the company to grow.
Though competition drives the market crazy for new products it has it's plus side too as this way the consumer gets the best suitable product he wishes to buy in different price ranges and gets to choose the best out of the platter displayed in front of him. The manufacturer too gets benefited by competition, he enjoys the healthy competition as it always keeps him alert on his job and helps him produce the best possible output in the market which leads to better sales.
Apart from this many stationery industry manufacturers have also started manufacturing gift stationery which the children could gift each other like autograph books, slam books, party invitations, letter pads, gift-wraps, pop up books & mini books thus sufficing the needs of that market too.
School stationery industries have come up a big way by contributing in education awareness thus participating in social programs hand in hand with the government. Some companies have also adopted villages for providing full education to the rural children and some stationery industrialist have started contributing some of the company's profit to the government for rural development. A socially sound company who knows it's social role is bound to receive popularity among others. By this practice in near future the industrialist of school stationery with the government support will achieve a well-educated and developed nation and in turn achieve it's own development too.
