New Delhi: In an insightful conversation with The Sunday Guardian, the leadership team at KNAM Marketing—Co-Founders & Directors Rahul Gupta and Gagandeep Singh, along with Director Shilpa Chawla—shared their perspectives on India’s recycling industry, the company’s approach to premium packaging solutions, its growing footprint in the MENA region, and how KNAM navigates global supply chain disruptions.
Q: Can you share the scope of recycling industry in India?
A: Rahul Gupta: For Scope of Recycling Industry India’s paper industry is rapidly embracing sustainability, with recycled and alternative fibers driving innovation. While recovered paper—largely imported from the US, Europe, and the Middle East—remains a major raw material, mills are also turning to eco-friendly sources like bagasse (sugarcane waste), bamboo, wheat straw, and husk to reduce reliance on wood pulp and support the circular economy.
KNAM Marketing plays a key role by sourcing responsibly recovered fiber and stock lots globally, and offering a wide portfolio of sustainable paper grades—MG kraft, duplex, FBB, and food-grade papers—for packaging, food service, and retail. By integrating global recycling practices with India’s growing demand for green alternatives, KNAM helps build a more resource-efficient and low-impact paper ecosystem.
Q: Considering the logistical and freight challenges in India, how do they impact the growth and efficiency of the domestic waste paper industry, and what role does KNAM play in navigating these hurdles?
Rahul Gupta: India’s domestic waste paper industry faces several logistical challenges—from inconsistent waste segregation and limited collection infrastructure to rising freight costs and last-mile delivery delays. These hurdles disrupt supply chains, reduce the availability of quality recovered fiber, and increase processing costs for mills.
Adding to this, global disruptions such as Red Sea tensions, Middle East conflicts, and increased tariffs by the U.S. on waste paper exports have strained sourcing and impacted major shipping routes—leading to longer transit times and inflated freight rates.
KNAM Marketing has strategically addressed these challenges by diversifying its sourcing base across Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, and by building strong logistics partnerships to ensure timely, mill-ready supply— keeping operations efficient and sustainable even in a volatile global trade environment.
Q: How KNAM Marketing is offering premium packaging solutions?
A: Gagandeep Singh: At KNAM, we specialize in providing premium-quality packaging solutions that combine durability, functionality, and sustainability. Our solutions are designed to meet the complex and diverse needs of industries such as FMCG, F&B, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, textiles, and e-commerce. KNAM sources packaging materials that are reliable, strong, and deliver high performance at every stage.
We offer a diverse range of paper grades tailored for various packaging applications, including food-grade MG paper, duplex, FBB, and other specialty papers. For carry bags, we recommend kraft paper for its exceptional strength and environmentally friendly nature. Every product we deliver reflects our commitment to responsible sourcing and a more sustainable paper industry.
Q: Internationally, from which markets does KNAM Marketing buy scrap paper and what are those quantities? Further, out of the total quantity, can you share, segregate, the types of scrap paper purchased?
A: Shilpa Chawla: We primarily focus on trading from international markets, while we procure scrap paper from across the globe, our major supply volumes come from the United States, Europe, United Kingdom, and MENA region. These regions are preferred due to strong consumer demand, consistent availability of required paper grades, and the superior quality of fiber.
Moreover, their well-developed port infrastructure, their extensive coastlines facilitate convenient access to seaports, enabling efficient logistics and transportation. Our annual procurement volume ranges between 100,000 to 120,000 tons of scrap paper. We deal in approximately 40 different paper grades, with some of the key categories including:
OCC, NCC, BBC, News & Pams, Bags, SOP, Scanboard, Polycup Tissues.
We also specialize in handling special grades. However, the volumes for these are limited due to availability constraints.
