Kraft Paper Price Increase, October 2026 | The Kraft Ledger
Kraft paper kept rising into October 2026. South Indian box makers (SICBMA) reported kraft up about 25% since mid-July, across 7 mill revisions worth about Rs 8,000 per tonne, the latest effective 1 October. In Delhi NCR, kraft liner moved from about Rs 64 to 65 per kg to about Rs 80 to 81 in six weeks.
What happened to kraft paper prices in October 2026?
The paper rise that reached box buyers in September carried on into October. On 6 October 2026 the South India Corrugated Box Manufacturers Association (SICBMA) said kraft paper prices were up about 25% since mid-July. That came through 7 separate mill revisions in about 10 weeks, adding about Rs 8,000 per tonne in total, with the latest revision effective 1 October. SICBMA warned the rise could reach about 35% if the trend continued in the coming weeks.
The North India picture came from the waste paper trade. On 2 October 2026, The Pulp and Paper Times reported the view of Naresh Singhal, President of the Indian Recovered Paper Traders Association (IRPTA): kraft liner in Delhi NCR had gone from about Rs 64 to 65 per kg to about Rs 80 to 81 over one to one and a half months. North India 18 BF basic kraft stood at about Rs 36 per kg, with Rs 37 possible within days.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Oct | Latest kraft mill revision takes effect, the 7th since mid-July, about Rs 8,000 per tonne cumulative | Corrugman (SICBMA), 6 Oct 2026 |
| 2 Oct | Delhi NCR kraft liner about Rs 80 to 81 per kg, up from about Rs 64 to 65 over 1 to 1.5 months | The Pulp and Paper Times (IRPTA), 2 Oct 2026 |
| 2 Oct | North India 18 BF basic kraft about Rs 36 per kg; North India waste paper about Rs 22 per kg | The Pulp and Paper Times (IRPTA), 2 Oct 2026 |
| 2 Oct | Chennai 18 BF from about Rs 36 to about Rs 38; Gujarat 16 BF about Rs 37 per kg | The Pulp and Paper Times (IRPTA), 2 Oct 2026 |
| 6 Oct | SICBMA: kraft up about 25% since mid-July, could reach about 35% | Corrugman, 6 Oct 2026 |
| 12 Oct | WICMA: kraft up 22% to 25% in three months, Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg by grade | Corrugman (citing The Economic Times), 12 Oct 2026 |
| 14 Oct | European OCC export indicators about 20 to 25% above early-spring levels | ScrapMonster (BIR market assessment), 14 Oct 2026 |
| 22 Oct | Mitul Shah named President of ICCMA | corruga.expert, 22 Oct 2026 |
Why is kraft paper getting dearer?
Two pressures are stacking. The first is waste paper, the raw material for recycled kraft. IRPTA's President said a shortage of imported waste paper, driven by higher international prices and container constraints, is "having a direct impact on the domestic market". The same report put the gap between waste paper and finished kraft at about Rs 14.50 per kg, up from about Rs 9.
The second is everything around the paper. SICBMA listed fuel, coal and polymer costs, and higher costs for glue, stitching wire, printing consumables and electricity. It also pointed to the GST gap: 18% on kraft paper against 5% on finished boxes, which locks up input credit and strains working capital for box makers. We covered that gap in our GST post.
What did the box makers' associations say?
Three regions spoke within a week. SICBMA in the south asked buyers to plan carton needs early and to factor current paper prices into quotations. In the west, Corrugman reported on 12 October 2026, citing The Economic Times, that the Western India Corrugated Box Manufacturers Association (WICMA) put the rise at 22% to 25% over three months, or Rs 7 to Rs 10 per kg by grade, and sought a proportionate revision in box prices.
At national level, corruga.expert reported on 22 October 2026 that Mitul Shah has taken over as President of the Indian Corrugated Case Manufacturers' Association (ICCMA). ICCMA's October congress in Mumbai ran on the theme Unmask Your Cost, Unleash Your Price.
What happens next for waste paper?
IRPTA's 2 October outlook was a forecast, not an outcome, and we report it as one. It expected the market to stay firm until about 20 to 25 October on festival demand. It said domestic waste paper may correct after 25 October if festival collection rises, and that pressure on domestic waste paper could return after mid-November if collection drops while imports stay hard to get.
We searched for a mill circular, association statement or trade report dated 15 October to 12 November 2026 that confirms whether that correction happened. We did not find one we could open and verify, so we are not reporting a direction. The November Ledger will.
What this means for your box price
Paper is the largest single input in a corrugated box, so the rate you pay for boxes follows it. Here is what a paper move means per box, computed by our quote engine at its current rates (as of 12 November 2026) for a 12 x 10 x 6 inch box at 5,000 boxes, plain.
| Box | Current band per box | Every Rs 1 per kg on paper adds | A Rs 5 per kg move adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 ply, 12 x 10 x 6 in | Rs 11.96 to Rs 16.89 | about Rs 0.31 to Rs 0.36 | about Rs 1.57 to Rs 1.80 |
| 5 ply, 12 x 10 x 6 in | Rs 19.93 to Rs 28.16 | about Rs 0.52 to Rs 0.60 | about Rs 2.62 to Rs 3.00 |
This is our estimate, before GST. These figures carry conversion on top of paper, which is why they run higher than the paper-only figure in the September Ledger. Treat them as direction, not a quote.
- Ask for a current quote before you reorder, not the price from your last purchase order.
- Agree the price for your order before you place it, and confirm it in writing.
- Right-size the box before you reorder; less board is the one saving the paper market cannot take back.
For a current number on your exact spec, send it on WhatsApp or price it on the live calculator, and a person confirms the figure usually in minutes, always within 24 hours. Prices attract 5% GST (HSN 4819); a GST invoice is issued with every order.