Thanks to protection from imports, and fuelled by the spread of education and increased demand, these firms thrived and co-existed. They catered to different segments of the market. From a Council of Scientific and Industrial Research publication Wealth of India, we know wholesale prices of fountain pens in 1963, prices being for a dozen pens. For a gold nib Pilot, Champion, Swan or Black Bird, it was between ₹85 and ₹132. For a gold-plated steel nib Pilot, it was between ₹57 and ₹132 (there was an import duty of 65% on gold or gold-plated nibs.) For brands like Wilson, Doric, Clipper, Plato or President, a dozen fountain pens cost between ₹16 and ₹72. For imported pens, the price was around ₹208.