Asia's first Paper Factory Reopens

• 25 Aug 2022

Why In News?

• On August 23, 2022, Union Minister of Heavy Industries Mahendra Nath Pandey inaugurated Asia's first paper mill NEPA Limited at Burhanpur. It has been revived after seven years.

Key Points

• Significantly, it was completely closed for renovation in 2015. The mill has been renovated with a revival package of about Rs 469 crore received from the central government.
• Earlier the production capacity of the mill was 88 thousand metric tonnes per annum, which has now been increased to more than 1 lakh metric tonnes per annum. Modern machines have been installed here.
• Two types of paper will be prepared here. The first news print, which will be of 44-45 GSM. This waste will be prepared by making pulp from paper, while the second will be writing printing paper.
• Nepa Limited was started as a private enterprise by Nair Press Syndicate Limited on January 26, 1947. The company, named 'The National News Print and Paper Mills Limited' for news print production, was the only news print manufacturing unit in India till 1981.
• In October 1949, the management of the company was acquired by the then state government of Central Provinces and Berar (present-day Madhya Pradesh). With the commencement of commercial production at the mill, the country's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru dedicated it to the nation on April 26, 1959. On February 21, 1989, the company's name was changed to Nepa Limited.