Indian Newspaper Society Flags Deep Newsprint Shortfall, Says Imports Are Essential

Overview

• India’s annual newsprint consumption stands at about 1.2 million tonnes, according to an INS statement issued on Tuesday.
• Domestic mills have struggled to produce even 0.5 million tonnes, leaving local output at roughly 40 percent of total demand.
• INS said the supply-demand gap has persisted for over two decades with no meaningful expansion in dedicated newsprint capacity.
• The industry’s deterioration was described by INS as a “hollowing out” that has eroded self-sufficiency.
• INS said publishers must import to keep newspapers circulating, calling reliable supply essential for informed public discourse, in a statement carried by PTI on News18.