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Paper and paperboard imports reached a record 2.05 million tonne in 2024-25 with a 33 per cent jump in volume from China, the Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) said on Friday while expressing concerns over growing shipments. This surge in imports has emerged as a significant challenge for the domestic paper industry, undermining its growth potential and threatening investments in capacity expansion, the association said in a statement. Citing the Commerce Ministry data, the IPMA said paper and paperboard imports surged more than twofold in the past four years to hit 2.05 million tonne in FY25 from 1.08 million tonne in FY21. Imports from China now account for 27 per cent of the total paper and paperboard imports into India, and the ASEAN bloc accounts for 20 per cent of the total imports, the IPMA said. In value terms, imports of paper and paperboard touched nearly Rs 15,000 crore in FY25. The relentless surge in paper imports is a matter of grave concern for the domes
The paper industry in India is likely to grow 12 per cent per annum for next five years and the overall paper consumption is expected to increase to 24 million tonne in 2024-25 from the present 15 million tonne. The industry is witnessing a transformation and several industry leaders are investing in capex to expand their capacity to meet the expected demand growth, said Indian Paper & Manufacturers Association (IPMA) in a statement. Besides, IPMA expects consolidation in the industry in the coming years as players would take up mergers and acquisitions to compete with each other. "The paper industry is going through a transformation phase and few big paper companies are doing expansion to meet their region or product or category-specific demand. Overall paper consumption is projected to increase to 24 million tonne in 2024-25 from 15 million tonne currently," said IPMA VP J P Narain. Moreover, the manpower-driven industry is expected to generate employment opportunities, both ...