stationery and educational products manufacturer has been nurtured by Mr. Vishal Gala since he was 18 (Photo Credit: social media)
New Delhi:
Despite a boost in the eLearning sector and digital devices finding their way into the traditional Indian education sector, the demand for conventional stationery products remains rock-solid. While the country experiences a digital revolution, a large section of society still sticks to the “pen and paper” approach to education.
Gala Global Products Ltd is one of the most prominent market players helping these children navigate through their academic lives. Established in 1983, the company is managed by its CEO, Mr. Vishal Mulchandbhai Gala. Struggling with the untimely demise of his father, who had laid the company’s foundation, Mr. Vishal found himself at the helm of affairs at the age of 18. While her peers aimed to pursue higher education and secure high-paying jobs, Mr. Vishal wanted to establish his own empire and have a variety of skilled professionals work for him.
Having inherited his father’s knack for business and his uncle’s never-ending support, Mr. Vishal took the reins of Gala Products Pvt Ltd at a young age.Under his leadership, the company created its niche in the market, producing office stationery and related products, such as registers, loose-leaf pads, etc. The young blood and raw passion allowed Mr. Vishal to take his company from generating a turnover of ₹2.75 crores to ₹15 crores over the course of a few years. By 2006-07, Gala became a popular name in the stationery sector, with its products being sold at over 5,000 retail stores across the country.
This is when Mr. Vishal saw an opportunity to diversify his business and enter the printing and education sectors. Using the knowledge acquired over the years, Mr. Vishal then laid the foundation of Gala Print City in 2010. This opened the doors wide open for Gala to find a niche in the education sector. In no time, the company started manufacturing answer sheets, registers, textbooks, etc., while teaming up with universities. Giving a further push to the company’s growth, Mr. Vishal took its turnover to ₹45 crores in 2015. With two successful companies in his bag, Mr. Vishal now thought of making the big move of merging the two ventures, giving rise to the now popular Gala Global Products Ltd.
He consolidated the operations of the two companies and took his venture public with an IPO of ₹3 crores. Since then, there has been no looking back for the Gala team. In 2019, Gala Global Products secured its position among the industry high-rollers by clocking in its first ₹100 crores in turnover. However, the sea didn’t remain smooth for the company soon after it hit this benchmark. The onset of a catastrophic pandemic shook the country, severely affecting the education sector. Schools, colleges, and offices started shutting their doors and operations across the board came to a standstill. This started rocking the boat of the otherwise thriving Gala Global Products as it started experiencing sharp dips in demand. This blow made the company go on a 4-year long hiatus. While the products were still out there in the market, the vigor and prominence had taken a hit.
The company and its team also struggled with unfounded media speculations during this 4-year break from mainstream operations. However, a new dawn is upon Gala Global Products as the company is making its full-fledged return to the market after the break as the markets welcome it with open arms. With its return, Mr. Vishal and his team wish to focus on giving back to society by providing stationery and educational products to economically weaker children at subsidized rates. With this, the Gala team wishes to eliminate the struggles kids and their families in India go through to get basic stationery products.
Looking back at the company’s tumultuous journey over the last three decades, Mr. Vishal feels grateful to his supporters and team members for sticking by the company. He says, “More than boasting about generating ₹100 crores in turnover, it is important for an enterprise to look back at its humble beginnings and do its best to give back to society. We still have a long journey ahead of us and are yet to explore many new horizons in the days to come!”
