Indelible ink worth Rs. 33 crores ordered by ECI for ensuing Lok Sabha polls

March 25: The Election Commission has ordered 26 lakh bottles of indelible ink at a cost of ₹33 crore. Each bottle contains 10 milliliters of ink. In the 2014 election, the panel bought 21.5 lakh phials, 4.5 lakh fewer than this year’s purchase.

Mysore Paints and Varnish Limited is a company located in the city of Mysore, India. It is the only company in India authorised to produce indelible ink, which is used in elections to prevent people from voting multiple times. Mysore Paints exports indelible ink to more than 30 countries across the globe.

In 1962, the Election Commission, in collaboration with the Law Ministry, National Physical Laboratory and National Research Development Corporation, had made an agreement with Mysore Paints for supply of indelible ink for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. Since then, it has been supplying the ink for elections in India.

 In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel had bought 21.5 lakh phials, 4.5 lakh less than this year. The seven-phase election will begin on April 11 and conclude on May 19. The results will be declared on 23 May, 2019.