India Paper Market Outlook, 2027-28

India Paper Market Outlook, 2027-28

The paper industry in the country has undergone a transformation of sorts in the last few years. The industry has gone up the sustainability curve and has become far more technologically advanced. The emphasis on education and literacy, coupled with growth in organised retail and demand for better quality paper, are the major drivers of growth. Moreover, there has been continued demand for quality packaging of FMCG products, pharmaceuticals, textiles, organised retail, booming e-commerce, and other segments. As per the IPMA (Indian Paper Manufacturers Association), India is the 15th largest paper producer in the world.

According to the report, India Paper Market Outlook, 2027-28 published by Bonafide Research, the overall market is anticipated to grow at more than 8% CAGR in terms of value, largely driven by emphasis on education and literacy coupled with growth in organised retail. The paper industry in India looks extremely positive as the demand for downstream paper products, like tissue paper, tea bags, filter paper, light weight online coated paper, medical grade coated paper, etc., is growing. In addition to that, the wet strength papers, tea bag tissue, soft tissue, filter paper, insulation Kraft, extensible Kraft, decorative laminates, overlay tissue, thermal papers, digital papers, coated papers/boards, and some specialty grades of paper are imported from the USA, Europe, Dubai, and Singapore. However, India exports A4 copies, wood free, MG varieties, coated duplex, and large quality of converted products like Stationery items, calendars, books, magazines, children’s play books, and comic grade papers to the Middle East, South Eastern countries, Eastern Europe, and USA.

In early years, the paper industry was majorly dependent on wood as a raw material. However, due to increasing awareness and restrictions on cutting trees, focus has slowly shifted to waste paper and agro residue. The demand is expected to grow on account of an anticipated pick-up from the education sector with improving literacy rates and growing enrolment as well as an increasing number of schools and colleges. Improving literacy rates, rising circulation, and an increasing number of newspapers and magazines are expected to support growth in newsprint demand. The paper and paper products market in India has been segmented into the North, South, East and West. On account of increasing paper consumption, especially of FMCG products, the Western region is the leading consumer of paper and paper products across the country. Paper mills are concentrated in the states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat.

The paper mills use a variety of raw materials such as wood, bamboo, bagasse, recycled fiber, wheat straw, rice, and husk. The geographical location of the mill often determines the type of raw material used. Most mills in the northern and western regions of India depend heavily on agricultural residues and wastepaper as their raw materials. While pulp and paper production in the southern and eastern regions uses wood and bamboo as raw materials.

On the other hand, the paper and paperboard packaging businesses experienced growth over the last decade, owing to changes in substrate choice, the expansion of new markets, changing ownership dynamics, and government initiatives to ban plastic. Sustainability and environmental issues continue to be emphasized, and various innovations catering to paper and paperboard packaging are expected to drive market growth in India. For instance, in the last five to seven years, an amount of over Rs 25,000 Crore has been invested in new efficient capacities and the induction of clean and green technologies.

India’s share in the demand for paper across the globe being analysed is growing, as the domestic demand is increasing at a steady pace while the demand in western nations is shrinking. Ballarpur Industries Limited (BILT) and ITC are among the largest producers of paper in the country. Moreover, many of the existing players are increasing their capacity to meet the growing demand. However, high cost of production as a result of unavailability and high cost of raw materials; high cost of power and concentration of mills in specific areas only; technological obsolescence as well as environmental challenges are some of the factors hampering the market's growth.

Unlike in some parts of the world, the paper industry in India is not a forest-based industry but an agro-/farm-based industry. India’s paper industry has agroforestry roots and strong backward linkages with the farming community, from whom wood, which is a key raw material, is sourced. As per the IPMA, of the total demand for wood, over 90% is sourced from industry-driven agro/farm forestry, with the rest from the government and other sources. India’s paper industry is wood-positive; that is, it plants more trees than it harvests. Further, the continuous improvement of literacy rates, the enhancement of consumers' healthy lifestyles, E-commerce, consideration of personal grooming and extended lifespan, plus improvements in conditions and distribution channel development in rural areas, have all created opportunities for the expansion of the paper market.

As India's paper industry becomes more competitive through improvements to key ports, roads, railways, and communication facilities, a revision of forest policy for wood-based paper industry is required so that plantation can be raised by industry, farmer cooperatives, and state governments. The emerging segment of paper is speciality paper, which includes paper used in banks, bonds, cheques, currency notes, paper for security printing, stamp paper, etc., and has the wider opportunities for growth in the near future. As aggressive environmental changes and rising pollution in the country make people prefer paper over plastic for packaging, and also the support of the government encourages the use of paper. Due to technological advancement, the wide availability of eco-friendly paper products available encourages the market's growth. Marketers are trying to give more innovative products with high durability, which shows the future growth of the paper market.
Major companies that operate into the paper market in India are ITC Limited, Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL), J K Paper Limited, Ballarpur Industries Limited, Century Pulp and Paper Limited, The West Coast Paper Mills Limited, International Paper APPM Limited, Seshasayee Paper & Boards Limited (SPB), Emami Paper Mills Limited, N R Agarwal Industries Limited (NRAIL).

COVID-19 Impacts:
As for the Indian paper market, there are factories in many cities, and much of the business of paper depends on frequent travel and communication between different continents. The staggered effect of COVID-19 as it swept across the country—hitting some cities harder than others—has reduced the industry’s capacity to communicate effectively. Another consequence of COVID-19, the widespread travel bans and import/export restrictions, has impacted the way that paper companies have been able to manage their clients. Many companies have had to revert to remote meetings, which some consider to be less than ideal. However, with the change in consumer behaviour, the market is anticipated to witness prominent market growth during the upcoming time frame.

Covered in the report:
• India Paper Market
• Paper Board & Industrial Packaging Paper
• Newspaper Print Paper
• Speciality Paper
• Paper Stationery

How it will help solving your strategic decision making process??

The report gives an in-depth understanding of the paper market in India:
• India Paper Market Size By Value & Forecast
• India Paper Board & Industrial Packaging Paper Market Size By Value & Forecast
• India Newspaper Print Market Size By Value & Forecast
• India Speciality Paper Market Size By Value & Forecast
• India Paper Stationery Market Size By Value & Forecast
• Market Size By Value & Volume & Forecast
• India Paper Market Share By Segmental Analysis: By Segment, By Company
• Major Players of the Market

This report can be useful to Industry consultants, manufacturers and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing & presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.

Report Methodology
• Primary Research Data
• Primary research interviews of various channel partners
• Secondary Research Data
• Secondary research database from company annual reports, financial reports and proprietary databases


1. Executive Summary
2. Market Structure
2.1. Market Considerate
2.2. Assumptions
2.3. Limitations
2.4. Sources
2.5. Definitions
2.6. India Macro Economic Indicators
2.7. Demographics Insight
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Secondary Research
3.2. Primary Data Collection
3.3. Market Formation & Validation
3.4. Report Writing, Quality Check & Delivery
4. India Paper Market Outlook
4.1. Market Size
4.1.1. By Value
4.1.2. By Volume
4.2. Market Share
4.2.1. By Company
4.2.2. By Segment
4.3. Pricing Analysis of Paper Industry
4.4. India Paperboard & Industrial Packaging Paper Market
4.4.1. Market Size By Value
4.4.2. Market Size By Volume
4.5. India Paper Stationery Market
4.5.1. Market Size By Value
4.5.2. Market Size By Volume
4.6. India Newspaper Print Market
4.6.1. Market Size By Value
4.6.2. Market Size By Volume
4.7. India Speciality Paper Market
4.7.1. Market Size By Value
4.7.2. Market Size By Volume
5. India Paper Stationery Market Outlook
5.1. Market Size
5.1.1. By Value
5.1.2. By Volume
5.2. Market Share
5.2.1. By Company
5.2.2. By Segment
5.3. Notebook, Exercise Book Paper Stationery Market
5.3.1. Market Size By Value
5.3.2. Market Size By Volume
5.4. Office Paper Stationery Market
5.4.1. Market Size By Value
5.4.2. Market Size By Volume
5.5. Product, Price & Variant Analysis
6. PEST Analysis
7. Trade Dynamics
7.1. Import
7.2. Export
8. Market Dynamics
8.1. Drivers
8.2. Challenges
9. Market Trends & Developments
9.1. High Propensity to Spend on Education and in this Manner Stationery
9.2. Shift in Focus from inexpensive to Quality Products
9.3. Entry of Foreign Brands Drives The Organized Sector
9.4. Consumer Opting for New Pens Rather than Refills
9.5. Growing Affluence and Lifestyle Changes
10. Competitive Landscape
10.1. Porter`s Five Forces
10.2. Company Profile
10.2.1. ITC Limited
10.2.1.1. Company Snapshot
10.2.1.2. Company Overview
10.2.1.3. Financial Highlights
10.2.1.4. Geographic Insights
10.2.1.5. Business Segment & Performance
10.2.1.6. Product Portfolio
10.2.1.7. Key Executives
10.2.1.8. Strategic Moves & Developments
10.2.2. Tamilnadu Newsprint & Papers Limited
10.2.3. JK Paper Limited
10.2.4. Ballarpur Industries Limited
10.2.5. Century Pulp and Paper Limited
10.2.6. The West Coast Paper Mills Limited
10.2.7. International paper APPM Limited
10.2.8. Seshasayee Paper and Boards Limited
10.2.9. Emami Paper Mills Limited
10.2.10. NR Agarwal Industries Limited
11. Strategic Recommendations
12. Disclaimer
List of Figure
Figure 1: India Population 2017-2021(In Crore)
Figure 2: India Paper Market Size By Value 2016-2017 to 2027- 2028 (in INR Crore)
Figure 3: India Paper Market Size By Volume 2016-2017 to 2027- 2028 (in Million Tonnes)
Figure 4: India Paper Market Share By Segment (2016-17, 2021-22 & 2027-28)
Figure 5: India Paper Market Pricing Analysis 2016-2017 to 2027- 2028 (Per Kg)
Figure 6: India Paper Stationery Market Size by Value 2016-2017 to 2027- 2028 (in INR Crore)
Figure 7: India Paper Stationery Market Size by Volume 2016-2017 to 2027-2028 (in MT)
Figure 8: India Paper Stationery Market Share By Segment (2016-17, 2021-22 & 2027-28)
Figure 9: Porter's Five Forces of India Stationery Market
List of Table
Table 1 : India Economic Snapshot 2020
Table 2: Average Exchange Rates for Converting Foreign Currencies into U.S. Dollars
Table 3: India Paper Market Share By Company (2021-22)
Table 4: India Paperboard & Industrial Packaging Paper Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 5: India Paperboard & Industrial Packaging Paper Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 6: India Paper Stationery Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 7: India Paper Stationery Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 8: India Newspaper Print Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 9: India Newspaper Print Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 10: India Speciality Paper Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 11: India Speciality Paper Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 12: India Paper Stationery Market Share By Company (2021-22)
Table 13: India Notebook, Exercise Book Paper Stationery Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 14: India Notebook, Exercise Book Paper Stationery Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 15: India Office Paper Stationery Market Size By Value (in INR Crore)
Table 16: India Office Paper Stationery Market Size By Volume (in Metric Tonnes)
Table 17: Product Price Variant Analysis of Stationery Market
Table 18: HS Code for Stationery Products in India 2021
Table 19: Import Duty Structure for HS Code XXXX in India 2021
Table 20: Import of HS Code XXXX in India - Value & Volume 2016-17 to 2021-22
Table 21: Import of HS Code XXXX in India - By Country By Value & Volume Share 2021-22
Table 22: Export of HS Code XXXX in India - Value & Volume 2016-17 to 2021-22
Table 23: Export of HS Code XXXX in India - By Country By Value & Volume Share 2021-22

Download our eBook: How to Succeed Using Market Research

Learn how to effectively navigate the market research process to help guide your organization on the journey to success.

Download eBook
Cookie Settings