The Government of Tamil Nadu listed the paper mill in April 1979 under the provisions of the Companies Act of 1956.

The machine was supplied by Voith Sulzer Paper Technology[5] and its licensee in India, Larsen and Toubro Limited, and has opened up vistas for newsprint making.

[6] TNPL has obtained the ISO 9001:2000 certification from RWTÜV[7] of Germany for the development and supply of newsprint and papers.

The plantation schemes are being implemented throughout Tamil Nadu through 10 regional offices in Karur, Manaparai, Tirunelveli, Karaikudi, Pudukottai, Namakkal, Trichy, Tanjore, Jayangondam, and Panruti.

TNPL has partnered with the NAIP-ICAR-sponsored project titled "A value chain on industrial Agro-forestry in Tamil Nadu" for the promotion of tree husbandry with improved short-rotation clones and genotypes through contract farming.

[11] Forest College & Research Institute (FC & RI), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Mettupalayam is the Consortium Leader of this project.

This project is being implemented to raise 500 acres (2.0 km2) of cluster plantation in 10 taluks covering 5 districts in Tamil Nadu.

TNPL has commissioned the bio-methanation plant, which generates around 23,000 m3 of biogas (methane) per day, to be used as fuel in the lime-kiln in place of furnace oil.

TNPL also obtained the 3 Leaves Award[12] under the Green Rating project of the Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, in October 2004.

The project also involves a system for extracting biogas from the closed reactor as fuel in a lime kiln, which had been using furnace oil.

Newsprint is normally manufactured in 49 Gsm (grams per square meter) reels and directly sold by the company to various newspaper establishments such as The Hindu, Malayala Manorama, Ananda Bazaar Patrika, and others.

TNPL Managing Director Mohammed Nasimuddin stated that "The TNPL has implemented a Mill Development Plan at a capital outlay of ₹6 billion mainly for incorporating various environmental improvement measures such as switching over to Elemental Chlorine Free Bleaching and reduction in water consumption.