Despite an increased emphasis on digitisation, the humble paper has not lost its sheen. With domestic demand for paper outpacing production in India, the only option left with traders is to depend on imports to bridge the demand-supply gap. Will Indian manufacturers be able to step up to meet the rising demand or will imported paper continue to be the preferred choice? The Dollar Business delves into the details.
Till a few years ago, if you were mid conversation and needed to jot down a phone number, you would look around for a piece of paper or your handy leather-bound organiser. Today, your smartphone is your notebook, recorder and, of course, the quickest way to get in touch with a friend. From legal documents to greeting cards; from newspapers to letters, paper in a many ways has always been an essential item of life, across sectors, countries and age groups. But, in today’s digital world where you can get everything from a bank statement to a greeting card on your phone, one would assume that the demand for paper was on a decline. The reality is quite the opposite. The demand for paper is increasing as paper finds use in a variety of different applications. Today, beyond printing and writing, paper finds use in packaging, and several industrial and construction processes. India’s rising consumption of paper has outpaced India’s domestic capacity and made the imports of paper an attractive option.
THE ROLLERS
What has been fuelling this domestic growth in demand? Education and development, it seems. What is more is that the type of paper that is used for these purposes is mostly not produced in India, and that is the reason that of all our paper and paperboard imports the type of paper that is imported under HS Code 481019 is by far the highest.
Rohit Pandit, Secretary-General, Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA), says, “Greater emphasis on education and literacy by the government, coupled with the growth of organised retail and demand for better quality paper, are the major drivers for paper and paperboards. Demand for better quality packaging of FMCG products marketed through organised retail, rising healthcare spends, over-the-counter medicines and increasing preference for ready-toeat food are the key demand drivers for paperboard and packaging paper.”
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