Berger Paints confident about strength in marketplace: MD & CEO Abhijit Roy

Berger Paints aims for ₹20,000 crore revenue by 2030, banking on network expansion, innovative products, and strong dealer relationships to hold its 20%+ market share

Berger Paints India is eyeing revenues worth ₹20,000 crore by 2030 – a target that will cement its position as a clear No. 2 in the market with over 20 per cent share, managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) Abhijit Roy said on Tuesday.

 

The fight will be for the third spot among Kansai Nerolac, Birla Opus and the combined JSW Paints and AkzoNobel, Roy said during a media interaction after the company’s 101st annual general meeting.

 

In FY25, Berger clocked revenues of ₹11,500 crore on a consolidated basis.

 

 Earlier, addressing shareholders, Chairperson Rishma Kaur said, “In a year marked by economic headwinds and heightened competitive intensity, we chose not to retreat but to reimagine. We demonstrated resilience with strong volume growth, increased market share, and improved operational profitability.”

 

Kaur added, “At the financial year-end, we achieved 7.6 per cent volume growth, with profit after tax (PAT) growth at 6.2 per cent. Our market share, at more than 20 per cent, tells a compelling story.”

 

Competition in the decorative paints market intensified with the entry of Aditya Birla Group’s Birla Opus in the early part of 2024. In June, JSW Paints inked a deal to buy Dulux owner, Akzo Nobel.

 

Responding to shareholder queries on the intense competition in the market, Roy said, “We are very confident about our strength in the marketplace – the brand, people and the distribution strength on the ground.” 

 

He also pointed to the years of work that had gone into building relationships with dealers, painters and builders.

 

“As of now, the No. 1 and 2 players – Asian Paints and Berger – are relatively safe,” Roy said.

 

Roy also said that for the last three years, the company had gained market share continuously.

 

During the first quarter of the financial year (Q1FY26), among all listed players, Berger’s share was 21.2 per cent, he added.

 

He further said that Akzo Nobel and JSW Paints had been around in the market for a while.

 

He said, “A change in ownership (of Akzo Nobel India) is not going to have any meaningful impact unlike Birla Opus, which is a new entrant.”

 

To hold on to its market share, Berger will pursue growth opportunities in terms of network expansion. “In upcountry markets, we have major gaps in the distribution network in many areas especially southern states and part of the western market like Maharashtra,” Roy said.

 

In urban markets, the company has deployed separate manpower. Roy expects to derive full mileage from this initiative by the fourth quarter. In addition, the company will focus on innovative products.

 

On capex, the company said that the Panagarh plant (in West Bengal) was expected to come up by December 2026; Odisha would happen by December 2028. “The East is a very important market for us,” Roy said.

 

The investment in Panagarh is about Rs 600 crore and in Odisha Rs 1,200-1,300 crore.

 

On demand, Roy said that it was still raining heavily, which was impacting sales “a bit”. “But if the rain stops, it tends to pick up fast because there is pent-up demand.” Berger expects demand to pick up in Q3 and Q4.