1,000 Paper Traders Gather in Hyderabad as FPTA 65th AGM Turns Focus to Sustainability, GST and Digital Change

H.E. Sri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana, inaugurated the conference, with Sri Rajesh Ponnuru, CEO, ITC Ltd. (PSPD), Sri Sushil Kumar Khetan, CEO & Whole Time Director, Emami Paper Mills Ltd., Sri A.S. Mehta, President & Director, JK Paper Ltd., Sri Rajesh Jain, President, FPTA, Sri T. Kishan Singh, President Nominee, FPTA, Sri Abhishek Vijaywargiya, President, Telangana Paper Merchants’ Association, and Sri Ashish Jain Bhansali, Hon. Secretary, TPMA, addressing issues shaping India’s paper trade.

More than 1,000 paper traders from across India have gathered in Hyderabad for the three day FPTA 65th Annual General Meeting & Conference 2026, where discussions are focusing on sustainable sourcing, GST concerns, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, packaging demand and the changing role of paper distributors.
The conference, being held from October 3 to 5 at Novotel HICC, Madhapur, was inaugurated by H.E. Sri Shiv Pratap Shukla, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana. The event is hosted by the Federation of Paper Traders’ Association in collaboration with the Telangana Paper Merchants’ Association and returns to Hyderabad after 19 years.

Sri Rajesh Ponnuru, CEO, ITC Ltd. (PSPD), attended as Chief Guest. Guests of Honour included Sri Pawan Agarwal, President, IPMA & CMD, Naini Papers Ltd., Sri A.S. Mehta, President & Director, JK Paper Ltd., and Sri Sushil Kumar Khetan, CEO & Whole Time Director, Emami Paper Mills Ltd.
The meeting was presided over by Sri Rajesh Jain, President, FPTA, and attended by Sri T. Kishan Singh, President Nominee, FPTA, Sri Abhishek Vijaywargiya, President, Telangana Paper Merchants’ Association, Sri Prasad RG, Chairman, Reception Committee, FPTA 65th AGM, and Sri Ashish Jain Bhansali, Hon. Secretary, TPMA.
Addressing the gathering, H.E. Sri Shiv Pratap Shukla said the paper industry’s raw material requirements are supported by fast growing agroforestry crops cultivated by farmers and argued that public messaging around paper and forests needs greater context.

He said, The paper industry does not deplete natural forests, as raw timber is ethically sourced from fast-growing agroforestry crops like poplar, cultivated specifically by farmers for quick harvest cycles. Popular slogans like “Save Paper, Save Trees” misinform the public; therefore, industry leadership must actively educate society that paper production supports rural farming economies rather than destroying natural forest habitats.
The Governor also spoke about the continuing place of physical paper alongside digital media, particularly in education, governance, publishing and cultural records. On taxation, he called for constructive industry representation over the difference between GST treatment of paper and notebooks and urged trade bodies to pursue the matter through structured engagement with governments and the GST Council.

According to figures presented at the conference, India has an annual paper production capacity of around 25 million tonnes, with the sector growing at approximately 5.8% to 6% annually. Paper and paperboard trade volume was placed at 23.84 million tonnes, while the paper and related products trading sector was estimated to have an indicative turnover of around ₹50,000 crore.
The combined Andhra Pradesh and Telangana paper market was estimated at around ₹3,600 crore, including approximately ₹1,650 crore in Telangana and ₹1,000 crore in Hyderabad.
Outgoing FPTA President Sri Rajesh Jain reflected on his tenure, which included visits to 35 of the federation’s 36 affiliated associations. Initiatives during the period included eight educational webinars, the FPTA Champions Cricket Trophy, an international study tour to China, the first Regional South Meet in Kodaikanal and Paper Day at Bharat Mandapam.
He also referred to FPTA’s engagement with IPMA, IRMA, ASSOCHAM, FICCI and CAIT, along with representations to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Nitin Gadkari concerning the inverted GST duty structure affecting notebook manufacturers.

Sri Sushil Kumar Khetan, CEO & Whole Time Director, Emami Paper Mills Ltd., pointed to education, publishing, printing, pharmaceuticals and packaging as important areas of paper consumption. He also identified FMCG, food, pharmaceuticals, retail and ecommerce packaging as areas with further potential.
He said, The Indian paper industry has a promising future, with rising consumption and significant headroom in per-capita usage. Paper remains essential across education, publishing, printing, pharmaceuticals and packaging.
Sri Sushil Kumar Khetan also called for closer relationships between mills and dealers, along with greater adoption of recycling, automation, digitalisation, AI and process innovation.

Sri A.S. Mehta, President & Director, JK Paper Ltd., described the paper ecosystem through four connected areas comprising manufacturing, distribution, selling and customers. He highlighted self reliance, raw material security, digital tools, AI, customer understanding and resource efficiency as areas requiring attention as the industry responds to global market uncertainty.
Chief Guest Sri Rajesh Ponnuru, CEO, ITC Ltd. (PSPD), said the industry supports more than 5 lakh farmers, 600 mills, 6,000 traders and 1 lakh printers. He also highlighted the role of traders in supply chains, MSME support and the shift towards paper based packaging.
Figures presented by Sri Rajesh Ponnuru placed recycled material at 75% of fibre sourcing, agro residues at 8% and tree based farming at 20%. He also identified the inverted GST structure and foreign competition among the issues requiring policy attention.

Sri Abhishek Vijaywargiya, President, Telangana Paper Merchants’ Association, linked paper’s continuing relevance to education and the preservation of knowledge.
He said, When historians write the story of civilisation, they speak of great nations, leaders and inventions. Yet, behind them all was paper, the medium that preserved ideas, recorded discoveries and carried knowledge across generations.
He added that the future should not be viewed as a choice between paper and digital technologies, with both expected to have a place as the industry changes.
Sri Ashish Jain Bhansali, Hon. Secretary, TPMA, outlined the association’s work in community service, industry advocacy and member support. He cited the annual distribution of 12,000 notebooks, support for Ekal Vidyalaya, the adoption of more than seven schools over 25 years, seminars on GST and regulations, mill visits and an arbitration committee for commercial disputes.

Sri T. Kishan Singh, President Nominee, FPTA, highlighted the role of paper traders in connecting mills with publishers, notebook manufacturers, printers, converters and other industries. He also raised the shortage of suitable and affordable warehouse space as a concern for traders, including those operating in Hyderabad.
The Hyderabad conference also has significance for the incoming FPTA leadership, with Sri T. Kishan Singh, Managing Director, Tirumala Balaji Paper Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad, set to take over as Nominee President of FPTA.
Industry figures cited at the conference indicate that 74% to 76% of Indian paper production is based on recovered or recycled fibre, 18% to 20% is wood based and 6% to 8% comes from agricultural residue such as bagasse.

FPTA is using the conference to discuss how paper consumption, recycling, sustainable sourcing, packaging demand and technology can shape the trade as its members respond to changes across education, ecommerce, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, printing and manufacturing.

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