(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) Have you ever wondered why the poll worker inks your finger before you cast your ballot? Most people are unaware that Mysore, Karnataka, is the production site for this blue, permanent ink.
The company, Mysore Paints and Varnishes, has been India's sole supplier of indelible election ink since 1962. But it didn't start with indelible ink.
Under the name Mysore Lac & Paint Works, the firm was established in 1937 by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, the then Maharaja of Mysore province. Its initial product was lacquer, which was derived from the vast woods close to Mysuru and Nagerhole.
Today, the company helps ensure the smooth running of elections in 30 countries, including India, Thailand, Singapore, Nigeria, Malaysia, Cambodia and South Africa.
The formula for the exclusive "indelible election ink" has been kept a secret since 1962 and is constantly monitored by a number of government employees who have worked on the stunning 16-acre woodland property and old structures.
Most of the states in the nation, including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, and Mizoram, have already received supplies of irreversible ink.
For the Lok Sabha election, the business created and provided 26.55 lakh vials containing 10 milliliters of indelible ink. A 10 ml bottle may be used to irreversibly mark 700 voters. The firm has been profitable thanks to its consistent operations. Mysore Paints generated a Rs 618 crore profit in 2016–17. This number might quadruple during an election year. The sales of indelible ink account for between 40 and 60 percent of the company's income. Since 1991, the 100-person public sector enterprise that employs chemists and engineers has turned a profit.
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