George Town Fountain Pen Shop Gem and Co Nears Centenary
Gem & Co, a traditional fountain pen shop located on NSC Bose Road in George Town, Chennai, is poised to complete 100 years of operation in February 2027. Despite the digital shift toward keyboards and physical challenges like local flooding, the 99-year-old establishment continues to manufacture, sell, and repair fountain pens under its third-generation ownership.
The shop is currently managed by 64-year-old M. Pratap Kumar, who has steered the family business since 1985. The enterprise was founded in 1927 when Pratap’s grandfather, M.C. Cunnan, and business partner, S. Venkatarangam Chetty, shifted their general trade business to focus exclusively on fountain pens. Pratap's father, M. Prabhat Kumar, also previously ran the shop.
Over the decades, the business has adapted to physical changes in the neighborhood. To combat flooding caused by rising road levels during rains, the shop's floor height had to be increased, and water occasionally had to be pumped or pushed out manually.
The store remains well-known for its "Gama" line of fountain pens, named after the legendary undefeated wrestler Ghulam Hussain Baksh Bhat, known as "The Great Gama." M.C. Cunnan, a patriot and freedom fighter, chose the name because he wanted the pen to be named after an Indian hero and hoped it would be as strong as the wrestler.
While Gem & Co outsources the production of plastic moulded pens to manufacturers in cities like Mumbai, it continues to hand-craft its signature ebonite pens in-house. To appeal to younger generations, the store has also introduced vibrant acrylic and transparent demonstrator pens. Prices for the Gama pens range from Rs 120 to several thousand rupees, depending on the level of hand-crafting.
According to Pratap, the business continues to survive due to a passionate, multi-generational customer base. Loyal patrons who have bought from the store for up to 60 years, including a 92-year-old customer, now introduce their children and grandchildren to the shop.
Pratap stated that writing with a fountain pen stimulates the mind by matching the speed of memory, aided by the slight friction on paper that controls writing speed. He also noted that fountain pens are economical, eco-friendly, and remarkably durable.
