Domestic newspaper production struggling to meet demand, says INS

Because of the shortfall, Indian newsprint mills can meet only about 40 per cent of total demand

The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) on Tuesday raised concerns over the weak state of domestic newspaper production, saying it has failed to cross 0.5 million tonnes and remains far below the country’s actual demand.

Newsprint demand versus production

INS President Vivek Gupta said India’s annual newsprint requirement is around 1.2 million tonnes. However, domestic production has struggled to go beyond 0.5 million tonnes. Gupta said that this large gap highlights the challenges faced by the local newsprint industry.

What it means

Because of this shortfall, Indian newsprint mills can meet only about 40 per cent of total demand. INS said that this points to a major “hollowing out” of the domestic industry, with limited capacity to support the needs of newspaper publishers across the country.

 

How long has the situation lasted

According to INS, this supply gap has continued for more than 20 years. During this period, there has been no meaningful expansion in dedicated newsprint manufacturing capacity within the country.

Increased dependence on imports

Due to this long-standing limitation, several newspaper publishers have been dependent on imported newsprint. INS said imports are necessary to maintain uninterrupted printing and distribution of newspapers, which play an important role in keeping the public informed.

INS questions claims of surplus capacity

Questioning the claims that domestic producers have enough capacity to meet publishers’ needs, INS said that data from the domestic newsprint industry's association shows exports of only about 18,000 tonnes in total over the past 15 years.

 

INS said these low export figures show there is no surplus production capacity in India. This, it added, contradicts earlier claims by the industry and reinforces concerns about the continued weakness of domestic newsprint manufacturing.