The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has raised serious concerns over a persistent shortage of newsprint in the country, which has compelled publishers to increasingly rely on imports.
India’s annual newsprint consumption stands at around 1.2 million tons, while domestic production has struggled to exceed 0.5 million tons, INS said. As a result, Indian mills are able to meet only about 40% of total demand, highlighting what the INS described as a significant “hollowing out” of the industry.
According to the INS, this demand-supply gap has continued for more than two decades, with no substantial expansion in dedicated newsprint manufacturing capacity. “Given this structural limitation, newspaper publishers are forced to depend on imports to ensure uninterrupted supply and distribution …,” the society said.
Indian Printer & Publisher had in its earlier reports been quoting industry observers and trade publications to note India’s dependence on imported newsprint. Historically, foreign supply made up a significant portion of domestic newsprint consumption—at times close to or above half the total. This reliance was driven not only by insufficient production but also by quality preferences, as imported grades often better suit high-speed modern printing presses.
Global supply chain disruptions—such as those brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical conflicts—have at times exacerbated import challenges. Issues such as freight bottlenecks, currency fluctuations and logistical constraints have not only affected the volume of imports but also pushed up costs for domestic publishers.
In this context, the INS had earlier appealed to policymakers to reconsider import duties, arguing that lowering or waiving such taxes could ease financial pressure on the print media sector.
