The 14^th edition of PaperTech organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) had several stakeholders and pioneers of the paper sector converging on a digital platform to deliberate on new challenges and opportunities.

Sanjay Singh, Chairman, PaperTech 2020 & former President of IPMA in his theme address, underlined that PaperTech had grown over the years and had added tremendous value to the pulp and paper sector. Energy, water and environment conservation are focus areas of PaperTech. The Paper industry is on its way to becoming world-class since energy and water consumption has been coming down. The Paper industry plays a vital role in the overall industrial growth of the country and also provides a necessary medium to propel our knowledge-based economy forward.

One of the constraints being faced by the industry is the availability of cost-effective raw material in the country. In India, a lot of degraded forest land is available which, if replanted, will not only help in greening the country but can bring several other benefits to the economy. IPMA is working with the Government and we will surely find a solution for the same, Sanjay Singh added.

According to A S Mehta, President IPMA, the ongoing difficult times test the mettle and resolve of the industry.  While it’s a long way to go for Indian companies to achieve the scale achieved by Chinese players, there are several other areas, besides scale, in which we are on our way to becoming globally competitive. Till a few years ago, 200 cubic meters of water was being used to produce a tonne of paper. Now it has come down to 50 cubic metres and certain mills have brought it further down to less than 30 cubic metres which is a sterling achievement.

According to Mr Mehta, the industry needs to further collaborate with the farmers and work towards achieving a lower cost of wood. Plantation exercise needs to be accelerated for raw material security. Aatma Nirbhar Bharat demands that the industry forges closer bonds with the entire value chain especially farmers and vendors to achieve global competitiveness.