In India, the world's most populous democracy, elections mean millions of voters sport purple-painted index fingers, and a factory in the southern city of Mysuru is the source of all the nation's indelible ink.
For decades, India has used the ink, made primarily from silver nitrate, to mark voters after they have cast their ballots to prevent duplicate votes and fraud. When exposed to sunlight, the ink stains the skin and nails purple, lasts about two weeks, and is nearly impossible to erase.
Founded in 1937, Mysore Paints And Varnish Limited is the only company authorized to produce ink in India, which is preparing to hold a general election this year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is widely expected to win another term in power.
Since the beginning of the year, the company has shipped a record 2.7 million vials of ink to commemorate the 970 million people registered to vote.
“This year we have not had a single rejection,” said Vishalakshi K, director of quality control at the company.
The most populous state of Uttar Pradesh placed the largest order, while the small island territory of Lakshadweep placed the smallest order, of just 110 vials, company executives said.
The election commission has set the price per vial at INR 174 ($2.1), giving the company, whose main business is manufacturing paints used in public transport vehicles, revenue of more than $7 million per vial. vote.
Mysore Paints also has orders for indelible ink from several countries in Asia who are planning to use it in their elections.
Despite the difficulty in removing the ink, voters have been known to use makeup remover micellar water, lemon juice and raw papaya sap on the purple stain, often with little success.
To ensure that these fraudsters' plans are thwarted, Mohammed Irfan, the company's managing director, said election officials must clean voters' fingers before applying the ink.
“This will ensure that the ink stays on and no one can wipe it off,” he said.
