Orient Paper Mills is an Indian paper manufacturing enterprise that has historically formed part of the C. K. Birla Group. The mill is among the older integrated paper units in India, producing writing and printing paper, industrial paper, and tissue grades. It is closely associated with the township of Amlai in the Shahdol district of Madhya Pradesh, where its principal manufacturing facility is located.
| Type | Paper manufacturing unit |
|---|---|
| Industry | Pulp and paper |
| Country | India |
| Principal location | Amlai, Shahdol district, Madhya Pradesh |
| Group affiliation | C. K. Birla Group |
| Products | Writing and printing paper, industrial paper, tissue paper |
Orient Paper Mills operates as an integrated pulp and paper unit, drawing on forest-based raw materials and recycled fibre to produce a range of paper grades. The mill caters primarily to the Indian domestic market, supplying paper for stationery, publishing, packaging and converting applications. The Amlai works has been one of the long-standing industrial establishments in the Shahdol region of eastern Madhya Pradesh, and contributes to the local economy through direct employment and ancillary activity.
The unit was originally part of Orient Paper & Industries Limited, a diversified company within the wider Birla group of enterprises. Over time, corporate restructuring within the group led to changes in the ownership and listing structure of the paper business, while the manufacturing operations at Amlai continued. The C. K. Birla Group, headed by industrialist Chandra Kant Birla, retained interests in paper alongside its holdings in cement, automotive components, building products and engineering.
The Amlai mill is an integrated facility, meaning that pulping, paper making, finishing and effluent management are conducted on the same site. Product lines have included:
Like other wood-based paper mills in India, the unit has historically depended on a combination of farm and social forestry inputs, agricultural residues and recycled paper, alongside in-house chemical pulping. Environmental compliance, water use and effluent treatment in the Sone river basin region have been ongoing operational concerns for paper mills in this part of Madhya Pradesh.
Orient Paper Mills is significant in the Indian paper industry both for its longevity and for its role in the industrial development of the Shahdol region. Townships built around such mills, including Amlai, were among the early planned industrial settlements of post-independence Madhya Pradesh, providing housing, schools and health facilities for workers. The brand "Orient" has had wide recognition in the Indian paper trade, particularly in writing and printing categories.