Economical Growth and Development under Paper Industry: An Empirical Study with special references to India

Abstract

Paper has a long history, beginning with the ancient Egyptians and continuing to the present day. For thousands of years, hand-made methods dominated and then, during the 21^st century, paper production became industrialized. Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA), apex body of the Indian Pulp and Paper Industry, appreciates the pragmatic measures being taken by the Government to revitalize the health of the Indian industry and place it back on a high growth trajectory. The Indian Pulp and Paper Industry provide direct employment to 5 lakh persons, and indirectly to around 15 lakhs, and have an annual turnover of about Rs. 50,000 crores. The domestic market or consumption of paper is over 16 million tonnes per annum (TPA), with over 2 million TPA being imported. By 2024 – 25, under the baseline scenario, domestic consumption is projected to rise to 23.50 million TPA (in the optimistic scenario, consumption is expected to rise to 36.90 million TPA by 2024 – 25). While the industry has already made significant capital investments to ramp-up capacities, the gestation period is long and the economic viability of the investments are impacted significantly by availability and cost of raw materials and other inputs, and escalating imports.