This Assam startup makes sustainable paper from water hyacinth

Discover how Aniket and Rupankar transform water hyacinth into eco-friendly paper, boosting tourism and livelihoods in Assam.

Assam’s lakes have long battled the unchecked spread of water hyacinth, the invasive plant that chokes waterways and disrupts fragile ecosystems. For wildlife enthusiasts Aniket Dhar and Rupankar Bhattacharjee, the problem became personal, and eventually, purposeful. Instead of seeing the plant as waste, they saw potential. That shift in perspective led to Kumbhi Kagaz, a brand that makes paper from water hyacinth.

The turning point came during a routine rescue. After saving a snake, Rupankar released it into a lake, only to watch it disappear beneath a thick carpet of hyacinth before he could photograph it. “I wanted that picture because I knew I would never see the same snake again,” he says. “I went back, told Aniket how disappointed I was, and that’s when we decided to find a solution.”

Rupankar and Aniket of Kumbhi Kagaz with the Chief Minister of Assam | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The duo began with handmade sheets in 2022, experimenting in small batches. As demand grew, they shifted to machine production to scale up. Today, the paper looks and feels like standard bond paper, making it suitable for everyday use. Their stationery line has been well received, and they are now expanding into biodegradable packaging—developing mono cartons and gift boxes.

Aniket comes from a computer science background, while Subhankar studied commerce. Both are also associated with Help Earth, an Assam-based NGO that explores, documents and protects the lesser-known biodiversity and fragile habitats of Northeast India.

Stationary of Kumbhi Kagaz made with water hyacinth | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement