'Camlin Geometry Box Was a Treasure': Death of Stationery Brand Founder Evokes School Nostalgia

Remember the days when showing off a cool geometry box or a bright, multi-compartment campus box was the ultimate classroom flex? Those were the treasures of our childhood! Whether it was a steel geometry box filled with all sorts of instruments, most of which we never used, or those fancy campus boxes with buttons we loved to open and show off, no Desi childhood was complete without them. So, when news broke about the death of Camlin founder Subhash Dandekar, the internet couldn’t help but take a trip down memory lane.

“Just read the sad news that Subhash Dandekar, the creator of the Camlin box passed away yesterday in Mumbai. It’s uncanny that he breathed his last just when so many of us were feeling nostalgic about his creation, which is an inseparable part of our childhood. May his soul rest in peace,” wrote one user on X. Another shared, “I can’t think of anyone from the 80s & 90s who didn’t use the legendary Camlin ‘compass box’.”

I did not know him personally, but I was once the owner of a Camlin geometry box….. my proudest possession in class 7. One wonders if he knew how many lives he touched. Om Shanti!

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“Om shanti, Subhash Dandekar! Thank you sir, for contributing so much to our childhood memories and nostalgia with Camlin” said the third while the fourth added, “I did not know him personally, but I was once the owner of a Camlin geometry box….. my proudest possession in class 7. One wonders if he knew how many lives he touched. Om Shanti!”

Meanwhile, Subhash Dandekar, the 86-year-old founder of the stationery brand Camlin, passed away on Monday, according to family sources and PTI reports.

After selling the popular artwork brand to Japan’s Kokuyo, Dandekar was reportedly serving as the chairman emeritus of Kokuyo Camlin until his passing.

For the background, Camlin was founded in 1931 by D.P. Dandekar and his brother G.P. Dandekar, starting with “Horse Brand” ink powders and tablets. Soon, they began producing “Camel Ink” for fountain pens. The company became a private entity in 1946 and went public in 1998.

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In 2011, Japanese stationery giant Kokuyo Co. Ltd acquired a 50.74% stake in Camlin for Rs. 366 crore. Dilip Dandekar continued as chairman and managing director. The deal aimed to introduce Kokuyo products, especially paper and office stationery, to the Indian market while boosting Camlin’s exports. At the time of the deal, Camlin offered over 2,000 products, including pencils, pastels, inks, and markers, retaining the Camlin (writing implements and office supplies) and Camel (art materials) brands.