48th Annual General Meeting and Conference of the Federation of Paper Traders of Association was organized by the Paper Traders Association, Mumbai from 5-7 September 2009 in Hotel Taj Lands End Mumbai. The FPTA was celebrating Golden Jubliee of its inception. The inaugral function was graced by the presence of Shri Vasudeo Goenka, Chairman Laxmi Organic Industries Ltd. The other dignitaries included Mr. Yogesh Agarwal, COO, Ballarpur Industries Ltd.; Mr. Amrut Shah, CMD, Sundaram Multi Pap Ltd.
Speakers on the occasion highlighted the industry scenario and said: “according to a leading global consulting firm’s forecast, the world demand for paper and paper board is to grow by 1.9 per cent annually in the long term, reaching 542 million tons by 2025. Demand prospects vary considerably between regions, with a fairly modest outlook for North America, Western Europe, and Japan, but still significant growth potential for Asia and Eastern Europe-India, China and Russia in particular.”
“In India, according to an industry analyst, the growth in demand over the years is likely to be in double digits and by 2025 India’s share in the global demand should be around 9 per cent. This indeed is a very positive sign for the paper manufacturers as well as the trade. In the past year the world has witnessed one of the largest financial and economic rollercoaster rides in a generation. The fallout may have been most acutely felt in the world’s stock markets, but the effects on the paper industry and trade have been profound. What we saw was the financial meltdown, which worsened from August December 2008, led people to assume of a global recession. This is a classic case of Demand Crash scenario we actually saw a reduction in demand and corresponding fall in price. The single most influencing determinant in the price of paper is fiber. The behavior of the fiber markets over the past years can be characterized acutely volatile. Paper traders are struggling with less then favorable business conditions. As always the trader continues to be optimistic. Over the generations we have learnt to whether good and bad times. It’s the very essence of entrepreneurship that makes us suck in our gut, tighten the belt and hold on like real optimists until businesses get better. The trader has stayed customer focused and have figured out innovative ways to solve the customers problem, translating it into loyalty.”
