Penning a careful story: We will make sure we don’t hurt sensitivities, says Montblanc

A violent outburst to what was intended as a tribute to a nonviolent visionary was perhaps the last thing Montblanc expected while launching a Mahatma Gandhi-inspired pen in 2010.
Looking back on the unexpected outcome, Eric Vergnes, President of Montblanc Middle East, Africa and India, recently in India to launch a new boutique, said, “This was much before my time with the brand. I can understand for cultural reasons how it might have been ill-perceived. To my knowledge it was only recalled in India because of the feedback.”

Priced at £16,000, the writing instrument incorporated an eight-metre gold thread which was wound around it as a nod to Gandhi’s practice of weaving his own cloth. Only 241 pens were made as a tribute to each of the miles he walked on the Salt March.

However, the production of this pen provoked protests in the country over the use of Gandhi for commercial branding. The luxe brand had to apologise and withdrew the pen from the Indian market.



The pen was launched after Montblanc came to an agreement with Gandhi’s great-grandson, Tushar Gandhi’s charity, which was paid for the approval and was to receive a commission on each pen sold. Vergnes says he has no idea whether or not the deal was honoured after the pens were recalled from the Indian market.

This incident was a lesson in dealing with foreign markets. Vergnes says, “We need to be attentive to local culture. While most of the great icons we pay tribute to are Western, it doesn’t mean that we want to be only European. While we had an unfortunate experience with the Gandhi incident, we are discussing with art collectors and influencers, to make sure we don’t hurt sensitivities and are relevant.”.