Paper Industry in India

India’s first paper mill failed within a few years. Nobody wanted to buy what it made. This article covers how the paper industry eventually took root, and what actually goes into an Indian sheet of paper today.

From Failed Mill To Major Industry

IndEco0109

1812

First Mill, Serampore

William Carey’s mill fails from lack of demand

1870

Royal Bengal Paper Mills

Opens at Ballygunj; the first successful modern paper mill

1910

Titaghur Becomes Largest

Titaghur Paper Mills absorbs its rivals near Calcutta

TODAY

Recycled Paper Leads

Roughly 75% of Indian mills now rely on recycled paper

The shift: India’s paper industry has moved from pure wood and bamboo pulp toward recycled fibre, driven by resource limits, not just environmental policy.

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Timeline

• In 1812, William Carey built India’s first paper mill at Serampore, Bengal. It failed from lack of demand.
• In 1870, the Royal Bengal Paper Mills opened at Ballygunj, near Calcutta. It became the first successful modern paper mill in India.
• By 1910, Titaghur Paper Mills had absorbed the nearby Imperial and Bally paper mills, becoming India’s largest paper factory.
• Today, roughly 75% of Indian paper mills rely mainly on recycled paper as their raw material.

Must Know

• India’s paper industry draws on three raw material sources: recycled paper (about 74-76%), wood and bamboo pulp (about 18-20%), and agro-residue like bagasse and wheat straw (about 6-8%).
• India lacks enough domestic wood pulp, and imports roughly 7 million tonnes of waste paper every year to meet demand.
• Maharashtra, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka together account for over 60% of India’s paper production capacity.
• Other major producing states include West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha.

Good to Know

• Pulp made from bagasse and wheat straw tends to be lower-grade. These agro-residues carry lower lignin content but higher silica and ash than wood.
• The pulp and paper sector is highly energy- and water-intensive, and is regulated by the Central Pollution Control Board and state pollution boards.
• This industrial-byproduct theme connects to fly ash, another major industrial waste stream, covered in EnvEco0029.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. India’s first paper mill, built in 1812 at Serampore, failed for what reason?

Lack of demand for its paper

It was destroyed by fire

A shortage of skilled workers

A ban by the East India Company

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Great to Know

• Shifting toward recycled fibre reflects resource scarcity as much as environmental policy. India simply does not have enough domestic wood pulp to keep expanding on virgin materials alone.
• Importing 7 million tonnes of waste paper a year is a genuine paradox. A country recycling most of its own paper still depends heavily on foreign waste to meet demand.
• Early mills clustering around Calcutta reflects colonial-era industrial geography. Port access and established trade infrastructure mattered more than proximity to actual raw material sources.