1 week ago
Camel Stationery Brand Faces Competition After Decades of Dominance
Camel is a famous Indian brand that makes art and stationery products.
It began in 1931 by making ink products.
Over time, it added paints, brushes, pencils, pens and geometry boxes.
Its camel logo and yellow-and-black packaging helped people recognize it easily.
The company also held a large art contest for students across India.
Since around 2008, DOMS has grown quickly and become the country’s top stationery brand by 2024-25.
Camel is also dealing with higher costs and competition from cheaper products.
To remain popular, it may need to look modern while keeping its familiar identity.
Founded in 1931 as Dandekar & Co., Camel began by making ink powders and tablets.
The company expanded into art materials and stationery, later operating as Camlin and Kokuyo Camlin Ltd.
Camel built strong recognition through its yellow-and-black identity and the All India Camel Colour Contest.
DOMS overtook traditional competitors, including Kokuyo Camlin, to become India’s top stationery brand by 2024-25.
Camel now faces margin pressure, rising input costs, intense competition and demand for more contemporary designs.
- Who
- Camel, Camlin and their majority owner Kokuyo Co. Ltd.
- What
- A long-established Indian stationery brand is facing stronger competition and financial pressure.
- Where
- India, with roots in the former Bombay Presidency.
- When
- The business began in 1931; Kokuyo became its majority owner in 2011, and DOMS led the market by 2024-25.
- Why
- Rising input costs, compressed margins, price-sensitive customers and competition from organised, imported and unorganised products are challenging the brand.
Key facts
- Founded
- 1931, as Dandekar & Co.
- Current ownership
- Kokuyo Co. Ltd has been the majority owner since 2011.
- Product range
- More than 2,000 art and stationery products.
- Company evolution
- The business became Camlin and later Kokuyo Camlin Ltd.
- Student initiative
- The All India Camel Colour Contest began in the 1970s.
- Market position
- DOMS became India’s top stationery brand by 2024-25.
- Market outlook
- India’s stationery market was described as worth about $3.6 billion and projected to reach $6.3 billion by 2032.
Quotes
Rutu Mody Kamdar
Founder of Jigsaw Brand Consultants
“Stationery today is also about design and self-expression. So the brand will need to make itself contemporary without losing the familiarity that makes it so loved.”
financialexpress.com
“Long before ‘branding’ became a corporate buzzword, Camel understood that in a commodity category like stationery, the identity is the moat.”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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