For the first time ever, the imports crossed the INR 10,000-crore mark within nine months, reaching INR 11,196 crore during the April-December 2024-25 period. Imports from China in volume terms registered an increase of 36 percent, while imports from ASEAN countries rose by 23 percent, said IPMA President Pawan Agarwal.
Mar 17, 2025
The Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) has expressed serious concerns over the imports of paper and paperboard registering an all-time high of 1.76 million tonnes during the April-December 2024-25 period (20 percent rise in volume).
Citing the latest data released by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, IPMA President Pawan Agarwal said it was the first time that the imports crossed the INR 10,000-crore mark within nine months, reaching INR 11,196 crore during the April-December 2024-25 period.
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The association further noted that imports from China in volume terms registered an increase of 36 percent, while imports from ASEAN countries rose by 23 percent.
Even when the country had sufficient capacity to produce almost all grades of paper, the steady rise in imports was burdening domestic manufacturers, while also putting the industry margins under severe strain, said Mr. Agarwal.
Another fact which needed immediate attention was the suboptimal levels of capacity utilisation in the industry. This, when India was the fastest-growing paper market in the world, he added.
While the situation looked grim for the domestic manufacturers of all grades of paper, it was especially critical for virgin fibre paperboard, one of the growth drivers for the industry, which has tripled since 2020-21.
As per the IPMA chief, the price of these imports, especially from China and Indonesia, was significantly lower than the domestic production cost, and in many cases even lower than global pulp costs.
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He warned that the rising number of imports would erode the commercial viability of Indian paper mills and further discourage investment by domestic industry. This may lead to the loss of employment opportunities, apart from depriving lakhs of farmers of their income from wood supply to paper mills.
Mr. Agarwal, who is also the Managing Director of Naini Papers Limited, sought immediate measures from the government to tackle the situation, including policy interventions, which would not only curb the predatory imports of paper and paperboard, but ensure a level-playing field for Indian manufacturers in the domestic market.
