New Delhi, April 6 (KNN) The Russia-Ukraine crisis has massively impacted the newspaper industry in India, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi has urged the central government to step in and revive the industry by scrapping import duty on newsprint, and also introduce a scheme to incentivise domestic production.

Sushil said in Rajya Sabha,“India is extremely reliant on newsprint import and is the largest importer of newsprint globally, importing 45% from Russia alone the Russia-Ukraine crisis and associated sanctions have struck shipping containers of newsprint leading to supply shortages.”

He stressed that such disruptions have been happening frequently, such as the workers strike in Finland and truckers strike in Canada. Both countries are important sources of newsprint import for India.

Sushil highlighted how this translated into higher import costs for domestic newspaper firms, as newsprint amounts for 45-50% of the overall cost. 

He said, prices have risen from USD 450 per tonne to USD 950 per tonne. “As a consequence, the business has become increasingly uneconomical, even loss-mounting. Domestic manufacturers are converting their mills to produce packaging material,” he said.

He urged the central government to focus on reviving the sector, which was badly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Most newspapers have stopped sending editions to rural areas where the demand is low as distribution costs are not being met. Newspapers empower citizens and are essential for democracy,” he added. (KNN Bureau)