JK Paper Strengthens Technology, Plantation and Packaging Strategy Amid Industry Challenges

JK Paper Strengthens Technology, Plantation and Packaging Strategy Amid Industry Challenges

The Pulp and Paper Times

Addressing the gathering during Paperex 2025, Mr. A S Mehta, President and Director, JK Papers Ltd., spoke about RAW MATERIAL SUSTAINABILITY AND INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES and said any business is to make money and as long as we make money in the business, we are sustainable business people in that sector and in that vertical.

Mr. Mehta, from a finance and chartered accountancy background, said he is a data driven and number person and analysed 20 year or 30 year data of the industry to understand and learn the industry. He said 2013-14 was the worst year of the paper industry when raw material cost was very high and paper prices were very low and companies were incurring losses, but thereafter the industry bounced back. He added that the world is undulated, sometimes low and sometimes peaks, and the industry has to face the challenges of the time.

He said the paper industry is a very good sector to operate and he fully enjoyed working for the company and the industry, adding that JK Paper inculcated a culture of thinking differently in technology, market, plantation and other functions to create differentiating factors for the market and for ourselves.

On technology, he said JK Paper extracts the best efficiencies from machines and also took the challenge of using petcoke in lime kiln instead of producer gas or furnace oil, making operations more cost efficient. Though people said petcoke would be hazardous and create quality problems, the company continued using petcoke and investment payback was less than one year. Today all three manufacturing locations use petcoke in lime kiln.

On digital technology, he said digital was a buzz word and JK Paper invested heavily in sensors, AI and digital center of excellence, and within one year Raigada factory was considered the best digitally run factory in the country among participants including Levers, Tata's, Siemens and Bosch. Today all plants run massive digital initiatives with payback less than six months.

On the market front, he said JK Paper sells branded copier paper through the retail segment, catering directly to 40,000 shops where anybody can buy one box or ten boxes, and the marketing team works like an FMCG marketing team, something not done earlier in the paper sector.

On plantation, he said raw material cost is the biggest driver and he allocated significant time to plantation, working with farmers and plantation teams and creating focus on plantation. Over the last years, plantation exceeded 13,000 hectare every year at one location and targets were set at Sirkut and Gujarat plants, resulting in average plantation of 30,000 hectare every year, with this year’s target to cross 35,000 hectare to ensure adequate raw material.

He also said efforts focus on quality and species development, including Subabul harvest in 18 months, and development of Eucalyptus, Subabul and Casuarina in collaboration with agricultural universities, giving strong results.

On future growth, he said writing and printing category may see muted growth or stagnation, so the company invested heavily in packaging board and acquired companies in the packaging sector, becoming number one in corrugation box manufacturing and among the top in monocarton manufacturing, while continuing efficiency and technology focus in writing and printing.

On sustainability, he said plantation is one part and initiatives include wastage recovery, heat recovery, renewable energy and water management. Renewable energy is around 55 percent with a target of 75 percent and an aspiration to become a zero coal company in the next five years. On water consumption, integrated plant operations achieved less than 25 meter cube per ton, setting a benchmark for the industry.

But this is what a milestone in our mind. Can we do it? So, this is what we still work in progress. But we are very clear that 75 percent renewable is one goal which we must achieve in next three years' time.

As far as the water consumption is concerned, many things we have done.  And I am proud to say that our water consumption total mill level integrated plant operation, we have already achieved less than 25 meter cube per ton. So, that is also a benchmark.
 

Published at : Apr 23, 2026 07:24 AM (IST)

Total Views : 326