Indian Paper Industry
The paper industry in India is more than a century old. At present there are over 850 paper mills manufacturing a wide variety of items required by the consumers.
These paper mills are manufacturing industrial grades, cultural grades and other specialty papers. The paper industry in India could be classified into 3 categories according to the raw material consumed.
1. Wood based
2. Agro based
3. Waste paper based
Out of total paper production in the country, 73% is contributed by the Recycled Fibre (waste paper) based mills, 17% by wood based mills and remaining 10% by agro-residues based mills.
The government of India has relaxed the rules and regulations and also delicensed the paper industry to encourage investment in this sector. Joint ventures are allowed, and some of the joint ventures have also started in India. The paper industry in India is looking for state-of-the-art technologies to reduce its production costs and upgrade the technology to meet international standards.
The Indian paper industry is among the top 5 global players today, with an output of more than 24 million tonnes annually, an estimated turnover of Rs. 76,000 crore, and a domestic market size of Rs. 83,000 crore. The paper industry in India is moving up with a strong demand push and is in expansion mode to meet the projected demand of 35 million tonnes by 2030.
Many mills in India are on a modernization and expansion spree. Many old mills are under revival or new Greenfield projects are under consideration.
The paper industry is one of the high-priority industries having a bearing on the socio-economic development of the country. In India, this industry plays a vital role in overall industrial growth and also provides a necessary medium to propel our knowledge-based economy forward in the new millennium.
