With India poised to become the next global manufacturing hub and the FMCG sector growing at rocket speed both domestically and abroad, there has been a heightened demand for packaging material in recent times. However, owing to the ill-effects of plastic and an increased awareness as well as preference of consumers for eco-friendly goods, most companies have now shifted to utilizing paper-based products for their packaging as well as other use cases.
As a result, the pulp and paper industry in India is witnessing a hockey growth lately, with Maximize Market Research’s recent study predicting the segment which stood at $4.69 billion in 2024 to amount to $11.31 billion by billion by 2032, growing at a 13.4 percent CAGR during the forecast period.
Given such fine market conditions, one company that has created a niche for itself in the industry through its deep domain expertise and customer-centricity is United Paper Group. Based in Noida, United Paper Group was started in 1987 by late Pawan Bhatia (Co-Founder) with a vision to provide businesses with top-notch quality paper products at competitive prices, while also delivering exceptional service and support to meet the evolving needs of its customers.
Initially started as a group of companies comprising Himanshu Paper, Pranshu Paper, Madhuram Paper and Nandini Paper, each meant for a different region/state due to taxation, the businesses are now merged under the single entity of United Paper Industries since the same taxation applies across all regions. From having a handful of customers across the state of UP, United Paper Group has grown significantly and boasts of trading over 25,000 metric tons of paper every month, strongly cementing its position as the market leader in the kraft paper segment in India today.
“Despite our father being a serviceman, my elder brother Pawan was always inclined towards starting his own business. Initially started as a packaging material business of kraft paper, we then started supplying mills with the waste cutting that was generated from our customers (box manufacturers), which was then recycled by them and made into paper. Since this led to our customers becoming our suppliers and our suppliers becoming our customers, we gradually forayed into paper trading business.
Later, we ventured into the finished goods segment as well and started supplying kraft paper in reels and waste paper scraps to the mills”, says Yash Bhatia, Co-Founder and Managing Director, reminiscing the inception story of United Paper Group.
Extensive Products Catalog
Under the able guidance of the two co-founders, United Paper Group today boasts of having one of the largest portfolio of paper products in the market.
Some of the major products that it offers include Kraft Paper (agro based & recycled waste based), Semi-kraft Paper (12- 25 BF), Imported Kraft Paper (fresh & recycled), Duplex Boards (coated/uncoated, LWC/HWC, grey/black/ white), Virgin Kraft Paper (22-35 BF), Recycled Kraft Waste, Core Board for Paper Core & Cone, Virgin Top Liner and White Kraft Liner.
Located in Muzaffarnagar is the company’s own paper mill which is capable of producing 250 tons of paper each day.
Additionally, having recently started working on carry bag paper which is a lighter GSM and high-strength paper, it is also diversifying into the MG poster paper which is used in packaging and various writing & printing papers. Currently positioned as the market leader in the kraft paper trading segment, United Paper Group aspires to head these other verticals as well in the days to come.
“At United Paper, we are committed to using sustainable and environmentally responsible manufacturing practices, and we take pride in producing paper products that are both functional and cost-effective. We work closely with our clients to understand their unique requirements and strive to deliver products that meet or exceed their expectations.
Although our group’s primary focus is on paper trading business, we gradually forayed into paper manufacturing and have tripled our production capacity. To further serve our clients better, we have also diversified into other segments and established a biomass briquettes plant in Kota to serve our customers with not just paper but their fuel requirements as well”, explains Priyanshu Bhatia, Director, United Paper Group.
Standing as the foundational support for United Paper Group are its team of employees, many of whom have been with the company right since its inception and still strive for the organization’s betterment today. By making honesty and transparency as an integral part of its work culture, United Paper Group has successfully etched these values into all its employees, which is further reflected upon the way they handle their daily tasks at work.
“To further strengthen our work culture, we organize periodic team bonding activities as well, which has helped us achieve zero attrition rate even in today's day and age. The vast experience that each of our team members hold in their respective domains has been pivotal for us to get a clear understanding of our clients’ needs and serve them better”, Himanshu Bhatia, Director, United Paper Group further elucidates.
Software-driven & Client-centric Service
As a value-driven organization, customer experience and satisfaction have always been the core principles of United Paper’s business. Transparency, work culture and 24x7 availability have been the standout factors for the company not just today, but right from its inception. To further enhance its client experience, the company is also working on developing its own mobile app integrated with latest software tools to enable streamlined communication with its customers.
Additionally, the platform will also provide a host of features & functionalities to the customers, including order placing, complaint registration, dispatch-related queries and a lot more, all available at their fingertips. This strategic move by United Paper Group will not only boost its customer relationships by a great extent, but will also earn it the reputation of being the only paper trader in India today to have their own dedicated app for client engagement.
“Having been in the industry for such a long time now, we are not only well aware of the major challenges that our suppliers and customers are facing, but have also walking alongside with them and single-handedly helped them find the right solution for their problems. This has helped us immensely in gaining a deeper understanding of various intricacies involved in the paper trading business and maintain long-term relationships.
Also, we ensure to maintain complete transparency among all stakeholders of our business, and most of the paper mills that we deal with have been associated with us for at least 10-20 years”, adds Madhuram Bhatia, Director, United Paper Group.
Contributing Towards a Better Tomorrow
Sustainability has always been a major strong-point of United Paper wherein as a FSC certified business, it only sources recycled paper and ensures that none of its paper is made out of trees. The company also encourages its customers to use eco-friendly papers such as non-virgin paper that are lighter GSM and high strength, but easily recyclable so that there is very less impact on the environment.
Further, it also provides them with technical assistance as well to help them achieve the right balance between quality and sustainability. Not stopping there, United Paper Group is also an active inventor in startups working in the sustainability field, a noteworthy mentioning that of Scrap Uncle which is engaged in collecting waste directly from people’s homes, segregating it and provide it to the mills to be recycled.
“As a socially responsible organization, we have tied-up with a few schools to plant trees and even have an organization named Ekal Abhiyan Bharat to provides primary education as well as computer training to students from remote villages and lower strata of the society. Further, as part of this program, we also provide financial as well as technical assistance to farmers engaged in organic farming to help improve their irrigation practices and derive better yields. Today, over 50 lakh students and more than 100,000 organic farmers are being benefitted from this initiative”, Yash proudly asserts.
The Path Ahead
Owing to its ethical business practices and decades-long industry expertise, United Paper is currently associated with over 50 paper mill suppliers from across India and has a humongous customer base comprising more than 400 customers. Going forward, the company plans to further expand its portfolio to include products that are available in India only through imports and diversify into the biomass plants segment to collect agri waste from them and use it as a fuel in its mills. Further, through its new mill that’s being established in Aurangabad soon, United Paper Group is looking forward to cater to customers from Maharashtra region as well. Overall, in the long run, this highly esteemed conglomerate aspires to be positioned as a one-stop solution provider for diverse customer requirements.
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