Paper exports from India jumps 80% to all-time high of Rs 13,963 cr in FY22

New Delhi, May 26: In a major development, exports of paper and paperboard from India jumped nearly 80 per cent in the financial year 2021-22, touching a record Rs 13,963 crore, according to the industry body IPMA (Indian Paper Manufacturers Association). The export growth has straddled across different grades of paper, said a statement from IPMA while citing data released by the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence & Statistics (DGCI&S).

 

 

"In terms of value, exports of coated paper and paperboard increased by 100 per cent, uncoated writing and printing paper by 98 per cent, tissue paper by 75 per cent and kraft paper by 37 per cent. In volume terms, paper exports from India have grown four-fold from 0.66 million tonnes in the financial year 2017 to 2.85 million tonnes in the financial year 2022. Similarly, in value terms, the figures for the same year increased from Rs 3,041 crore to Rs 13,963 crore," IPMA said.

 

Paper exports from India have been increasing for the last five years. India is exporting papers to UAE, China, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Sri Lanka. "Exports have been rising in the last few years due to capacity expansion and technological up-gradation undertaken by Indian paper mills, leading to better product quality which has found wider acceptance globally," said Rohit Pandit, Secretary General, IPMA.

 

Further, he added that in the last five to seven years, paper mills in India have invested over Rs 25,000 crore to create new capacities and incorporate clean and green technologies. "In recent years, domestic paper companies have also intensified their marketing efforts globally and invested in developing the market overseas," he said. In the last two financial years, India has become a net exporter of paper in terms of volume.