India, Sept. 8 -- On a recent afternoon, the main gate of the Ghazipur paper market, once meant to usher paper traders into Delhi's wholesale future, was submerged under knee-deep water. It had not rained for two days, yet the road was still impassable - a trough of filth and stagnant puddles that swallowed shoes and tyres alike.

We set out to find a plot number that, on paper, seemed easy to locate, listed as "close" to the entry gate. But to the left stretched a strip of sludge, impassable even for car tyres. So we veered right, following the winding lane past one alley and then another. Shopfronts lined the way - selling cold drinks, tiles, water dispensers, even legal services - but not a single one dealing in paper or printing.

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