Indian paper industry was established in 1812 with 15 mills producing 1 lakh tonnes annually. Due to limited forest resources, bamboo became a major raw material. The industry is plantation-based and requires large amounts of soft water. Major producing states are West Bengal and Maharashtra. The industry employs over 0.12 million people directly and 0.34 million indirectly, producing various paper products. It accounts for 1.6% of global paper production with an estimated turnover of Rs. 25,000 crore. The industry has grown at around 6-7% annually and consumption is projected to reach 13.95 million tonnes by 2015-16.