Cello Group re-enters stationery business after 5 years

New Delhi, October 11

After selling its stationery business to France’s BIC five years ago, the Cello Group is re-entering the category and plans to launch products in the domestic market.

In December 2015, stationery major BIC Group acquired Cello Pens, the largest Indian manufacturer of writing instruments, for Rs 540 crore.

“We have just started stationery business with a different brand name (Unomax)… It has been five years since we sold our stationery business. There was a non-compete (agreement)… so we couldn’t do same products portfolio,” Gaurav P Rathod, managing director, Cello Group, told PTI.

Rathod said the Cello Group is at present exporting a small portfolio of stationery products and the company plans to make inroads in the Indian market.

“We are going to launch stationery products in the domestic market. We will launch with a small portfolio of products and as business grows we will add more products,” he said.

Rathod said the company has different strategy for its new stationery business to differentiate it from Cello Pens.

“We are producing different kind of products… products are slightly higher end… better looking,” he said.

The company plans to manufacture stationery products at its facilities in Daman, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The Cello Group manufactures home appliances, glassware, plastic and steel houseware, air coolers, cleaning products and furniture. PTI