How William Penn is scripting success and other top stories of the week
This week, SMBStory also covered the journey of the kulfi brand Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfi, which was started in 1906 by Kirorimal as a summer business. About 100 years later, the Delhi-based brand has spread its wings both in the domestic and international markets.
, a name that resonates with premium pens, recently acquired Sheaffer, the 110-year-old American writing instruments manufacturer. Through this acquisition, the homegrown company has entered the international market.
Talking to SMBStory, Nikhil Ranjan, founder of Bengaluru-based William Penn, says that this acquisition—considered to be one of the biggest in the premium writing instrument industry— is pegged at around Rs 450 crore. Nikhil did not disclose the acquisition cost but said that the deal was a remarkable opportunity to build on the preferences and tastes of Indian customers.
“This is a proud moment for us as we take over Sheaffer’s manufacturing, marketing, and retailing across 75 countries including USA, UK, Mexico, Malaysia, Thailand, South Africa, Japan, and India. The acquisition comprises the brand’s complete product portfolio and licences, including premium pens, journals, and gift sets,” Nikhil tells SMBStory.
Sheaffer is known for its luxury fountain pens.
The deal was a complete takeover. Nikhil says there are a few former employees from the management of Sheaffer who would be part of the William Penn brand.
But how does William Penn plan on expanding its presence, given the digital revolution? Nikhil asserts that pens never go out of fashion.
Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfi
“Dilli jao toh Dilli-6 ki chaat, kulfi zarur khao." (Whenever you go to Delhi, you must try unique delicacies at Delhi-6.)
If you are not a Delhiite, someone would have told you this if they knew you were planning to visit the capital city. And if you have lived in Delhi at some point in your life, you must be familiar with the crowded streets of Delhi-6, with shops offering the most drool-worthy snacks like chaats, chicken tikkas, and kulfis.
One such shop in Chawri Bazar’s Sitaram Bazar Road is Kuremal Mohanlal Kulfi. The century-old kulfi brand in the heart of Old Delhi was started by Kirorimal in 1906.
Kirorimal, who was nicknamed Kuremal by his family members and others, would come to Delhi from his village in Haryana during the peak summer months beginning in March to sell kulfi, an Indian ice cream, in the most basic of all stalls.
More than 100 years later, Kuremal’s success is not limited to Delhi. From serving at parties of Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan to Rashtrapati Bhavan and overseas weddings, Kuremal has survived the competition over the years to become the brand that it is today.
SMBStory caught up with the company’s Director and the fourth-generation member of the family business, Vishal Sharma, who is taking the legacy forward along with his brothers and Kuremal’s other great-grandchildren, Deepanshu and Himanshu Sharma.
Another top story of the week:
Making cybersecurity a priority
Until five years ago, SMEs were considered lazy on IT adoption. For them, accounting software was IT, and IT was accounting software. Suddenly, they are compelled to adopt the latest form of IT, rapid digitisation, and comply with the stringent global standards of information security.
Unfortunately, these SMEs do not have access to IT talent who can adequately protect them because good IT talent does not aspire to work for SMEs. We frequently see them losing their business continuity due to ransomware attacks. They are likely to fall prey to cybercriminals who defraud them through email identity theft, phishing, and data breach.
They tend to fall short of customers' expectations about information security compliance. They end up assuming significant contractual liabilities without adequate provisions to avert the defaults.
Let us see how SMEs can maintain business continuity and comply with the highest standards of information security.
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