Linc
Pen
and
Plastics
is
all
set
to
rope
in
shahrukh
khan
as
its
brand
ambassador.
"We
want
to
aggressively
market
our
brand
in
the
western
region
where
Shahrukh
is
popular
and
it
is
possible
only
through
brand
endorsements," said
company
MD
Deepak
Jalan.
Mr
Jalan,
however,
declined
to
quantify
the
endorsement
fee
that
King
Khan
would
get.
"We
will
spend
Rs.8
crore
this
year
for
advertising
and
marketing," he
said.
Linc
accounts
for
less
than
5
per
cent
of
the
Rs.504-crore
western
India
market
for
writing
instruments.
Pan-India,
the
company
has
an
8-9
per
cent
marketshare
with
Cello
and
Reynolds
being
the
major
competitors.
The
pen
industry
in
India
is
worth
Rs.2,100
crore,
Mr.
Jalan
said.
Like
all
other
sectors,
the
pen
industry
in
India
is
also
hit
by
rising
input
costs.
Mr.
Jalan
said
the
company
would
keep
in
mind
raw
material
prices,
which
have
gone
up
10-15
per
cent,
while
launching
new
products.
Linc
is
expected
to
launch
a
premium
segment
pen
this
year.
Linc
is
also
looking
at
exports
to
the
Middle
East
and
to
South
American
countries
after
facing
the
impact
of
US
and
UK
slowdown.
The
company's
exports
totalled
Rs.39
crore
last
fiscal
year.
Linc
sells
1.5
million
pens
daily
of
which
about
a
fifth
is
exported.
It's
total
revenue
is
Rs.177.20
crore.