It was for the first time in my life that I heard the name Conway Stewart pens, from the owner of the (DPS) Deccan Pen Store in Abids, Hyderabad. Founded in 1905, Conway Stewart has a rich history of crafting exquisite writing instruments in England. The brand is renowned for its commitment to the art of penmanship, elegance, and sophistication. With a strong British heritage, it has consistently delivered exceptional quality, innovation, and enduring value, inspiring creativity across generations.
Mir Najaf Ali Khan, the grandson of the VII Nizam, understands the pleasure of writing with an ink dip pen. The contentment of sitting at a writing desk with an ink pot, stylus, ink-stained cloth, and paper is a rare experience, and few will experience these days. Both the VII Nizam and his grandson used to purchase Conway Stewart pens from the Deccan Pen Store, established in 1928 on Abid Road, Hyderabad. Writing demands deep concentration, perseverance, and patience. Remarkably, figures like Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi, Stephen King, and Franz Kafka chose to put pen to paper—even when they had access to typewriters, computers, and Dictaphones. In an age dominated by Samsung, Apple, Oppo, Vivo, and even ChatGPT, the Deccan Pen Store stands tall, proving that the pen is not only mightier than the sword, but also more enduring than computers, search engines, and the vastness of the internet.
Mr. Sabih Akhtar Siddiqui, who could neither read nor write, founded the company in 1928. He used to import handcrafted pens from Conway Stewart UK. Needless to say, these pens were a symbol of luxury and status; much similar to those who show off their expensive mobiles these days.
The Deccan Pen Store began manufacturing handcrafted pens in the mid-1960s, and the romance with fountain pens continued among Hyderabadis. The store operates its pen manufacturing unit at Masab Tank and maintains an emergency pen repair unit on Abid Road.
The Deccan Pen Store empire is currently run by Mr. Shamim Akhter Siddiqui and his children. Their pens have become an integral part of every Hyderabadi’s life. Through their exclusive handcrafted fountain pens, they continue to help people capture ideas, preserve memories, and celebrate life.
The smell of fresh paper, the weight of finely handcrafted fountain pen and the excitement of writing are found in abundance in the Deccan Pen Store. Every pen the Deccan Pen Store manufactures has durability, fine design and charm. I do believe to say that Mr. Shamim Akhtar Siddiqui and his sons maintain the same quality customer service as Mr. Sabih Akhtar Siddiqui. The Deccan Pen Store has the trust of generations of customers, honest service and personal touch.
I am blessed to have visited this temple of writing. Deccan Pen Store symbolizes the rich legacy of knowledge, wisdom and the written word. Like the learned people of the ancient civilizations, I too bow my head in reverence to this Pen Store.
Two years from now, the Deccan Pen Store will be celebrating its centenary—100 years of legacy and continuity! A century of existence, and still moving forward strong. I must say, reaching the 100th year of a business is no easy achievement. Tape recorders, radios, televisions, cassettes, floppy disks, and CDs have all come and gone. We’ve witnessed countless revolutions between 1980 and 2025—and many more are still unfolding. The world is changing too fast!
In this fast-changing world, it is truly remarkable that a modest business of Deccan Pen Store is marching toward its 100th birthday. Spare a moment to think of the innumerable sacrifices that the Siddiqui family made to keep the Deccan Pen Store going. Today, the fruits of their dedication and hard work are being enjoyed by the great-grandchildren of Mr. Sabih Akhtar Siddiqui. I feel honored to use the writing instruments crafted by them. I pray to the Almighty to bless the Deccan Pen Store with many more centuries of success and existence.
About the Author
Dr. K. Raja Gopal Reddy is a seasoned internationally qualified Insurance professional. What you are reading here, may not answer all the questions we have, but has the absolute power of asking unsettling questions which increase the interest in the strange world, and show the contradictory wonders lying just below the surface of the commonest things of life. Look at this disturbing but beautiful thought of Friedrich Nietzsche “God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him”.
Dr. Reddy can be reached at: raja66gopal@gmail.com
Beautifully written about the great and legendary store to be known to our future generations.