Ukraine war strikes Indian paper industry as raw material price shoot up

New Delhi, Nov 2 (KNN) The ongoing geopolitical tension between Ukraine and Russia since February has dimmed the paper industry in India with the prices of paper going up to Rs 100,000 per tonne from Rs 70,000 per tonne which are majorly imported from China and European nations.

According to a report by news agency IANS, India’s paper imports have been hit to an extent that there is a two-month waiting period for overseas shipments due to the Ukraine war.

Citing industry sources the report said there has been a 42.8 per cent increase in the price of paper due to delays in supplies.

Industry officials have said that lockdowns in China have also compounded the problem further.

India mainly depends on imported raw materials for making paper.

Whether it is newsprint, which is used for printing newspapers or map litho paper needed for printing books, the pulp strands needed making paper pulp are sourced from China and several European nations.

As of now, there is a delay of around two months in paper supplies from abroad, which has led to a rise in production costs and also in the cost of raw materials, he informed. Paper orders placed for October are expected only by December this year, IANS quoted an official.

Due to the delays in paper supplies, publishers are not able to fix the prices of books, he added.

This demand and supply gap is expected to rise further once the new academic season sets in early next year and the demand for books goes up.  (KNN Bureau)