The Indian paper industry has benefited from the rapid growth in the economy. During the period 2003-2013, per capita paper consumption has doubled from approximately 11 lbs to 24 lbs, but this is way below the numbers for the developed world. In fact, it is even lower than the paper consumption seen in other emerging economies like China.
In the latest report titled Indian Paper Industry Overview: Current Outlook and Forecast to 2018, we have analyzed the Indian market and concluded that the current market is approximately 29 million pounds (13.1 million tons) valued at nearly ten billion dollars. Because we do not expect India to follow the traditional patterns of growth in consumption of paper, we are forecasting a moderate rate of growth of nearly 7%. Our analysis shows that despite a burst of demand from the print media due to rising incomes, this consumption will slow down fairly quickly as consumers take advantage of smartphones and other electronic devices that will be connected to Wi-Fi networks. We are expecting that as living standards improve, Indians will consume more packaging and hygiene products.
