New Delhi: The Indian Newspaper Society (INS) on Tuesday voiced serious concern over the shortfall of newsprint in the country, forcing publishers to rely on imports.

“India’s annual newsprint consumption is approximately 1.2 million tonnes, while domestic production has struggled to cross 0.5 million tonnes. As a result, Indian mills are currently able to meet only about 40 per cent of the total demand, underscoring a major ‘hollowing out’ of the industry,” the Indian Newspaper Society said in a statement here.

It said, this gap in the demand and supply has persisted for over two decades, with no meaningful expansion in dedicated newsprint manufacturing capacity.

“Owing to this inherent constraint, newspaper publishers are compelled to rely on imports to ensure uninterrupted supply and distribution, which remains essential for informed public discourse in this country,” the INS said.