Sector Snapshot · Printing & Publication

India's Paper and Print Industry Builds Toward Higher Capacity

A fast-read primer on India's printing and publication sector — the backdrop against which we benchmark every company's cost structure in this category.

India's share of global paper production (ranks 15th)

850

Number of paper mills in India

~25 mn tonnes

Annual paper production, en route to ~35mn tonnes by FY30

95.03%

Industry capacity utilisation rate

100%

FDI allowed under automatic route

Capacity Utilisation Is High, With More Growth Ahead

The industry already runs near full capacity, and production is set to rise substantially by FY30.

Industry-Wide Paper Production (million tonnes)

Current → FY30 forecast

~25 MT

Current

~35 MT

FY30F

Installed Capacity vs. Production (million tonnes)

FY24-25

5.20 MT

Installed Capacity

4.94 MT

Actual Production

What's Pushing the Sector Forward

Global scale, near-full capacity utilisation, and supportive policy define this category.

Global Position

5% of global paper production, ranks 15th worldwide

Industry Scale

850 paper mills producing ~25 million tonnes annually

Policy Support

100% FDI under the automatic route
GST on packing paper reduced to 5%

Recent Developments

A sample of the industry-wide and policy moves shaping the sector through early 2026.

→ India produces around 5% of global paper output, ranking 15th worldwide, with demand expected to reach ~30 million tonnes by 2027.
→ India's installed paper and paperboard capacity stood at 5.20 million tonnes in FY24-25, with production of 4.94 million tonnes at 95.03% utilisation.
→ India is home to ~850 paper mills, expected to lift production to ~35 million tonnes by FY30.
→ Cumulative FDI inflows in the paper and pulp sector reached Rs10,367.64 crore since April 2000.
→ Sustainability leaders like ITC, TNPL and JK Paper are advancing circular-economy publishing and packaging practices.
→ CSIR's National Mission on Sustainable Packaging Solutions is developing eco-friendly materials and recycling methods.

Companies We Benchmark in This Sector

Listed Indian Printing & Publication companies in tDoBe's cost-benchmarking coverage.

MPS

Repro India

S Chand & Company

Dachepalli Publishers

Chetana Educational

Shakti Press

Inland Printers

Infomedia Press

Unick Fix-A-Form

See How These Companies Compare on Cost

The numbers above set the stage. Our Report translates it into a company-by-company cost benchmark — down to the category — so you can see exactly where a business sits against its peers.

Explore the Printing & Publication Report