Kolkata, Apr 3 (KNN) After protests by corrugated box manufacturers from Southern India and Western India over unprecedented hike in paper Kraft price since January, this time manufacturers in eastern India have called for a one-day strike.

More than 900 corrugated board box manufacturers, who are mainly micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are on strike today against increase in the cost of primary raw materials.

Talking to KNN, Eastern India Corrugated Box Manufacturers' Association's President Milan Kumar Dey said, “About 900 corrugated box manufacturers from Eastern India are on strike today. Since January the raw material prices have been hiked by 20-25% all over India.”

Dey pointed that the Kraft paper manufacturers have increased the price 4-5 times since January end and absorbing this price would be a massive loss for the corrugated box manufacturing industry.

“Now the question is not about margins. There is no question of absorbing this price as with this we are going in negative,” Dey explained.

He said this is a highly competitive industry and manufacturing with this price would kill the industry completely.

"The kraft paper price escalation has seriously affected the working of corrugated board box manufacturers to such an extent that they are prepared to suffer a loss of production for one-day amounting to more than Rs 7 crore," he said.

The association said that they are planning to take up the matter with the Competition Commission of India if things don’t improve even after the strikes. (KNN Bureau)