PT IKPP was founded by Mr. Soetopo Janarto. Mr. Soetopo Janarto was born in Pematang Siantar, North Sumatra on June 1, 1934. In 1975 Mr. Soetopo collaborated with a company from Taiwan to develop his company. The company has succeeded in growing rapidly in several areas, including paper mills in Serpong, Tangerang, East Java, Jambi and other areas. On September 11, 1976, the President of the Republic of Indonesia issued a recommendation letter for the establishment of a pulp and paper factory with the status of Foreign Investment (PMA), after 12 days, on September 23, 1976, the Minister of Industry issued a permit for the establishment of a pulp and paper mill, on December 17 before notary Mr. Ridwan Soesilo, SH made a deed of establishment of a company under the name PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper corp. The name Indah Kiat means honest ways (tips). Indah is the name taken from his wife, Indah Berliani Soetopo. In 1977, a feasibility study was carried out, followed by the construction of a Phase I cultural paper factory (Wood free printing and writing paper) by installing two paper machines with a capacity of 50 tons/day each. The factory is located on the bank of the Cisadane river. Along with its development, the Tanggerang paper factory added one more machine unit in 1982, bringing the production capacity to 150 tons/day. 

In 1980, a further feasibility study was conducted on Jalan Raya Minas KM 26, Pinang Sebatang Perawang Village, Tualang District, Siak Sri Indrapura Regency, Riau.  And on 24 May 1984 PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper Perawang was inaugurated by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Soeharto, and on that day an experiment was conducted to produce a pulp machine with a capacity of 300 ADT/day.  

PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper Perawang is the first sulfate pulp mill or known as the wood-based kraft process in Indonesia, in the same year a 300,000-hectare Community Plantation Forest (HTI) was built which is connected to PT Arara Abadi. Types of wood planted include Accasia mangium, Accacia crassicarpa, and Eucaliptus urophilia.  

In 1985 PT Satria Perkasa Agung belonging to the Sinar Mas Group joined as a shareholder, after which the president director was held by Mr. Teguh Ganda Wijaya (Oei Tjie Goan). Under the banner of the Sinar Mas Group (APP), PT IKPP is growing rapidly. In April 1987 the Tanggerang paper mill increased its capacity to 250 tons/day. On December 14, 1989 the Perawang paper mill produced commercial production with a capacity of 200 tons/day, the existence of this paper mill made PT IKPP an integrated pulp and paper mill. In 1991 PT IKPP operated a paper mill II with a commercial production capacity of 575 tons/day, with a total production of 725 tons/day. PTIKPP is the largest and most advanced paper mill in Southeast Asia. PT IKPP also purchased the Sinar Dunia Makmur paper mill located at KM 76 Jl. Raya Serang, Kragilan Village, Sentul District, Serang Regency, West Java, with a production capacity of 900 tons/day. At the end of 1993, the phase III pulp mill was in commercial production with a capacity of 1300 adt/day. In 1994 the pulp making plant I and pulp making plant II combined and changed the capacity to 1200 adt/day so that the total production capacity became 2500 adt/day. In December 1996 the phase V pulp mill started commercial production with a capacity of 1600adt/day bringing the total capacity to 4100adt/day. In November 1997 the Phase III paper mill operated with a capacity of 1600 tons/day, bringing the total pulp production capacity to 4,500 adt/day and paper 2,125 tons/day. 

The company continue to grow and in 2019 the total annual production capacity was 3.0 million tons of pulp, 1.7 million tons of cultural paper, 108 thousand tons of tissue and 2.1 million tons of packaging