Scribbling a success
THE WEEK India|February 11, 2024
Inside Ookhu, the pencil village of India
TARIQ BHAT
Scribbling a success

Nestled along the meandering banks of the Jhelum River is the village of Ookhu at Kakpora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district, 26km from Srinagar. Ookhu has earned itself the title of ‘pencil village of India’, and rightly so. It has beaten competition from China and Germany to become a major supplier of raw materials to leading pencil manufacturers in India.

Manzoor Ahmad Allaie lives in one of the 250 quaint homes that comprise the village. He was born into the timber trade. As a young boy, he watched his father—a small-time timber trader—toil hard to provide for his wife, two sons and a daughter. After he finished schooling in 1996, Allaie persuaded his father to sell some land to buy a bandsaw mill and set up Jhelum Agro Industries. He began by making poplar boxes to transport Kashmir’s famed bloodred apples.

The mill improved the family’s finances, but Allaie had bigger dreams. In 2012, he travelled to Jammu and convinced Hindustan Pencils, India’s top pencil maker, that Jhelum Agro Industries could meet their raw material needs. It first supplied poplar logs and then shifted to slats—5.2mm thick wooden blocks that could be used to make four pencils. That was a decisive move, as demand for slats soared. Allaie hired 15 people, secured a bank loan to buy a machine to make slats and a generator to power the machine during power cuts. “Making a slat is half the job done,” explains Allaie. “We succeeded in that and the business took off.” His success inspired his neighbour Feroz Ahmed, owner of Barkat Saw Mills, to follow suit and provide raw materials to pencil manufacturers outside Kashmir.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM THE WEEK INDIAView all
Hat-Trick Or Has-Beens?
THE WEEK India

Hat-Trick Or Has-Beens?

India look to win their third straight Test series in Australia, but ageing superstars and recent humiliation at home have cast a shadow on their hopes

time-read
6 mins  |
December 01, 2024
Constipation Can Put Your Heart At Risk
THE WEEK India

Constipation Can Put Your Heart At Risk

PEOPLE WITH CONSTIPATION have an increased risk of major cardiac events, including heart attack, stroke and heart failure, especially if they also have high blood pressure, finds an international study published in the American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology.

time-read
1 min  |
December 01, 2024
Too Much Sitting Can Accelerate Ageing
THE WEEK India

Too Much Sitting Can Accelerate Ageing

SITTING FOR EXTENDED PERIODS can harm the heart and accelerate ageing, even if you are young and get the minimum recommended amount of daily exercise, according to a US study published in the journal PLOS One.

time-read
1 min  |
December 01, 2024
Efficiency and innovation
THE WEEK India

Efficiency and innovation

As health care evolves, professionals must employ innovative methods to refine their skills

time-read
2 mins  |
December 01, 2024
Level up
THE WEEK India

Level up

Only 30 per cent of needy patients are able to undergo transplant in India; we need more dedicated transplant centres

time-read
2 mins  |
December 01, 2024
HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL
THE WEEK India

HOPE STEMS FROM A CELL

While stem cell therapies have shown success in treating blood disorders, orthopaedic ailments, autoimmune diseases and eye issues, there is hope that they can one day treat patients with heart disease, blindness, Parkinson's, HIV, diabetes and spinal cord injuries

time-read
10+ mins  |
December 01, 2024
Mind matters
THE WEEK India

Mind matters

Your mindset can limit or expand your physical ability

time-read
3 mins  |
December 01, 2024
Cutting edge
THE WEEK India

Cutting edge

Would you go under the knife if a robot was the one holding it? Or would you say, \"No way, I need a human touch\"? You might have to decide soon because a robot that can imitate skilled human surgeons is already here.

time-read
1 min  |
December 01, 2024
The smallest cut
THE WEEK India

The smallest cut

Minimally invasive surgeries have a bright future, with virtual reality and 3D procedures offering greater precision and AI on the horizon

time-read
4 mins  |
December 01, 2024
Signalling a revolution
THE WEEK India

Signalling a revolution

Canadian scientist and entrepreneur Sachdev Sidhu is focused on bringing cutting-edge antibody engineering to his country of origin

time-read
7 mins  |
December 01, 2024