According to the IPMA (Indian Paper Manufacturers Association), paper consumption in India is expected to increase by 6 to 7 percent per year and reach 30 million tonnes by FY 2026-27. This makes India the world’s fastest-growing paper market. A huge younger population, a thrust on education/literacy, and E-commerce growth are the primary drivers of demand for different grades of paper. Despite a dramatic increase in the use of electronic media, the paper industry has realigned its product mix and has been expanding year after year.
Established in 1960, Seshasayee Paper and Boards (SPB), the flagship company belonging to ‘SPB-ESVIN GROUP', owns and operates an Integrated Pulp, Paper, and Paper Board Mill in Erode. The business also owns and operates a paper mill in Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, which leverages recycled fibers as its raw material. Together, the two mills have an installed capacity of about 2.40 lakh tonnes annually. “SPB is one of the very few companies in India that has an integrated pulp mill and well-diverse product segments.
Nearly 20 percent of our production is exported to around 35 countries including the United States”, speaks Kasi Viswanathan, Managing Director. The business has earned certification as a "Golden Export House" in recognition of its outstanding export performance. SPB manufactures products for a wide range of markets including the printing & writing segment,
book publishing segment, chromo papers, colored printing paper varieties, yankee posters, multilayer packaging papers, and others.
The operations of SPB have been governed for the past 60 years by five guiding principles which S. Viswanathan, Founder, believed as the “role” of the Industry: serve the interests of broader parts of society, serve rural development, serve the cause of eradicating poverty, promote employee welfare, and fight for social upliftment. SPB wastewater is treated and used to irrigate nearly 2000 acres of land where farmers grow sugarcane. “Our company has a unique tripartite arrangement with local farmers and our sugar mill viz. Ponni Sugars & Chemicals for utilization of our treated wastewater. This unique tripartite arrangement has been in operation for over 40 years”, says Kasi Viswanathan. Ponni Sugars purchases sugarcane from farmers, and Ponni Sugars supplies bagasse to the company for paper production. This one-of-a-kind Lift Irrigation Scheme has been praised for its novel and innovative strategy for converting dry land into green cane fields.
Over the years, the company has used cutting-edge, environmentally friendly paper production techniques, which has ensured its long-term viability. “We are an ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 organization and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified company. Thanks to the efficient operation of the plant, our company has won several awards for Environment, Safety, Energy, Productivity, and more. Recently our company has won the prestigious IPMA’s 'Mill of the Year Award' and 'Energy Efficiency Award'," speaks Kasi Viswanathan.
SPB understands that the only way to stay ahead of shifting market demands in India & elsewhere is through continuous improvement
Maintaining product quality has been SPB's top priority, and the company has spent the previous six decades focusing on expanding its wide range of products, good quality, costeffective project completion, excellent market network, and timely delivery to improve its performance over the years. SPB is proud to be recognized as an ‘Energy Leader & Trendsetter’ by CIIGBC for the past three years. “We use an environmentally friendly ‘Elemental Chlorine Free’ (ECF) technology to manufacture our paper. Through our tree farming facility, we are making enormous efforts to grow trees from our clones. Our business is ‘wood positive’, which means it grows more trees than it uses for pulping operations”, signs off Kasi Viswanathan. SPB also educates farmers about the benefits of producing trees and guarantees a fair price to raise the standard of living for rural residents.
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