Offset Printers Association raises packaging, printing prices by 15 to 20%

INDIA – The Offset Printers Association has revised prices for printing and packaging products by 15 to 20 percent with immediate effect, citing cumulative raw material cost increases of 30 to 40 percent across Punjab and neighbouring states.

The association, representing hundreds of printing, packaging and binding units across Punjab and neighbouring states, unanimously decided on the increase in response to steep and sustained rises in basic raw materials including kraft paper, duplex board, chemicals, inks and lamination films. 

Industry data shows finished paper prices rose by ₹2 (US$0.02) to ₹6 (US$0.06) per kilogram in recent weeks, while kraft paper and duplex board climbed ₹4 (US$0.04) to ₹6 (US$0.06) per kilogram, translating into more than a 10 percent rise in corrugated box and carton costs. 

Hardwood pulp prices had earlier climbed 20 to 25 percent during FY25 and the first nine months of FY26, with major mills announcing further hikes of ₹2,000 (US$21.09) to ₹3,000 (US$31.64) per metric tonne in writing and printing grades.

Geopolitical Tensions Compound Petrochemical-Linked Costs

Geopolitical tensions in West Asia have further compounded pressure through higher freight rates, supply chain disruptions and volatility in crude-linked materials. 

Lamination films, largely polymer-based and linked to petrochemical derivatives, have been particularly affected by movements in crude-linked materials. 

Imported wastepaper, coal and energy costs have added further pressure on manufacturers, while plastic packaging raw materials including polypropylene, polyethylene and PET have risen sharply since the conflict began, with packaging typically accounting for 15 to 25 percent of product costs.

Leadership Frames Revision as Survival Measure

Parveen Aggarwal, president of the association, said the printing and packaging industry had long absorbed successive cost shocks while serving as the backbone of India’s FMCG, pharmaceutical, e-commerce and education sectors. 

He emphasised that the present revision was a matter of survival rather than profit and was essential to protect thousands of MSME units and the livelihoods dependent on them. 

Kushl Kumar Jain, senior vice-president, said members would accept new orders only at revised rates that truly reflected escalated input costs, describing it as a collective, responsible step to protect the industry’s future.

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