The origin, growth and expansion of the India Security Press, Nasik Road (Maharashtra) are all epitomized in its "Golden Jubilee" which is being celebrated on completion of the 50th year of its eventful record of service and existence.

The India Security Press is a commercial department of the Government of India under the Ministry of Finance (Department of Economic Affairs), and is headed by a General Manager. It is engaged in the production of postage stamps and postal stationery for the Indian Posts & Telegraphs Deptt., Non­ postal stamps (non-judicial and judicial), adhesive stamps, etc. for the State Governments and other security forms such as cheques, promissory notes, pass­port booklets, State Government Bonds, National Savings Certificates etc. etc. for the Central and State Governments and Public Bodies and Currency and Bank Notes required by the Reserve Bank of India.

Upto 1862, the Indian Postage Stamps were printed by the Survey of India from plates made at the Calcutta Mint. In 1862, M/s Thomas De La Rue & Co., London, obtained a contract for the printing of Indian Stamps (Postal, fiscal, Court fee, etc.); they continued printing them until 1924.  It was in view of the impending  termination  of this  contract that  the  Government  of  India  decided to  set  up  a  Press  for  the  printing  of stamps in India as a result of this decision, the India Security Press was established at Nasik Road in November 1925 for producing all security  documents i.e., documents representing money value required by the Posts & Telegraphs, Law Courts, Taxation Departments etc. The Central Stamp Store which came to be added as a wing of the Stamp Press in 1928, distributes the products of the Stamp Press to more than 600  treasuries  and  sub-treasuries in the country.

Prior to 1860, there was no Government of India currency notes. In 1861 the  Bank  of  England  printed  the  first currency  notes  for  India  and  they  were Issued for the first time in March, 1862. The  Currency  Note  Press  of the  India Security Press was commissioned for printing currency notes on April 14, 1928.  The first notes printed there were issued  from  Kanpur  in  October,  1928. Since then  this  Press has the proud  privilege of  meeting the  growing  demand of  currency and bank notes arising from the  growth  of  the  economy. In order to  meet the  growing  demand  for  currency   and   bank   notes,   the   Currency Press  was  further expanded  by adding a  New   Currency Note Press in  July, 1961. The currency and Bank Notes  of all   denominations   are   printed  in the Currency Note Press and New  Currency Note  Press  according  to  the indents  of the  Reserve Bank of India. There has been a phenomenal growth in its sphere of  activities; it has an increasingly important role to play in the years to come.

The Posts & Telegraphs  Department feels privileged to bring out a special postage stamp in multi-colour to mark the occasion.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India