Only 2 People in India Know How to Make Voters’ Indelible Ink

The company has received requests from other nations and anticipates more orders in the coming months

Digital Desk: India's sole supplier of indelible ink, Mysore Paints and Varnish Ltd (MPVL), is bustling with activity as it prepares for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. With its largest order, the production was expected to be finished by March 15, the Times of India reports.

For the elections, the country requires 26.55 lakh vials of indelible ink, amounting to Rs 55 crore. Each 10mg vial can serve 700 voters. Apart from meeting domestic demand, MPVL also has export orders from 60 nations holding elections this year.

“The order we received from the EC for the 2024 general elections is the largest order so far. We have delivered most vials to the northeast and Jammu & Kashmir. We are now producing the ink for Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana,” said MPVL managing director K Mohammed Irfan, as quoted by TOI.

As the voter count continues to rise with each election, the demand for indelible ink has surged. MPVL's managing director, K Mohammed Irfan, stated that they have delivered most vials to the northeast and Jammu & Kashmir and are now focusing on fulfilling orders for Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.

The company has received requests from other nations and anticipates more orders in the coming months. Recent export orders have been fulfilled for countries like Cambodia, the Fiji Islands, Sierra Leone, and Guinea-Bissau, with plans to process orders for Mongolia, Malaysia, and Cambodia.

The cost of each vial has been revised upward to Rs 174 due to the fluctuating price of silver nitrate, a crucial ingredient. Additionally, MPVL is exploring the development of marker pens to replace the traditional glass vials, although this product is still in the development stage.