India, May 30 -- The other day, while stowing my laptop in its case ahead of a long trip, I was suddenly reminded of my trusty portable Olivetti electronic typewriter and its smart matching green case, both of which I used for years and sadly lost somewhere along the decades.

As it happens, 2026 marks 15 years since Godrej officially closed its last typewriter production unit. The machines now live on as vintage curios. It is hard to believe they were once regarded as magical devices, offering speed and ease in the workplace.

Before they arrived, everything had to be handwritten. Indeed, many feared the typewriter would mean the death of the art of calligraphy (and they weren't wrong).

Typewriters arrived in India in the early 1900s, u...