Value Chain Approach to Handmade Paper Industry in India

One significant merit about handmade paper industry is that it uses materials that come out as refuse in cotton apparel industries to manufacture papers and boards of high quality. That handmade papers are eco-friendly is an attraction, besides the lovable texture, and the pliability it renders for making a variety of paper-based products. Several merits apart, the handmade paper industry (HMP) in India is stuck into a mire of problems. Understanding the underlying issues and assessing the merits – at every link of the chain - should be helpful in getting the industry back on a healthy track. Hence, a national level workshop on value chain approach to handmade paper industry was conducted by the National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR), India in association with Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) of India. It was a two-day workshop attended by entrepreneurs involved in handmade paper making from several parts of India. The workshop came out with several interesting ideas to revive and restore the industry.