Indian Newspaper Society Raises Alarm Over Critical Newsprint Shortfall

• The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) has expressed serious concern regarding the persistent shortfall of newsprint in India.
• Publishers are forced to depend heavily on imports due to inadequate domestic production.
• India's annual newsprint consumption is about 1.2 million tonnes, but domestic production is only around 0.5 million tonnes.
• Indian mills meet only about 40% of the total demand, indicating a significant 'hollowing out' of the industry.
• This demand-supply gap has existed for over two decades without meaningful expansion in dedicated newsprint manufacturing capacity.

Why It Matters: INS highlights critical newsprint shortage, forcing publishers to rely on imports and impacting public discourse.