99 years old, Gem & Co and Kalathi Shop in Chennai show an enterprise need not have muscle to survive time
Gem & Co, a historic fountain pen shop in Chennai, is approaching its 100th anniversary despite the challenges of a digital-first world. The business has survived for nearly a century by balancing traditional craftsmanship with resilience against modern consumer habits.
Why it matters
It highlights the survival strategies of legacy small businesses in an era dominated by digital transformation and disposable consumer culture.
There are four parts to longevity in business. One part is ingenuity, and the other three are just plain, old-fashioned, boring stick-to-itiveness. Those four parts working in perfect synchronicity, seller of pens, a whopping number of them fountain pens, Gem & Co has continued at the same address on NSC Bose Road in George Town for no less than 99 years. As it is poised to complete 100 years of existence in February 2027, there are no signs it could be running out of ink.
The article is a human-interest feature story focusing on business longevity without political or ideological framing.
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