Paint Firms

The country's leading paint manufacturers expect competitive intensity to remain elevated in the coming months, even as they foresee an improvement in demand and volume growth in the March quarter (Q4), along with sustained margins. The top management of leading paint companies, such as Asian Paints, Kansai Nerolac, Berger Paints and AkzoNobel India, in their earnings calls, acknowledged the impact on sales in October and a sustained recovery in November and December. The markers also pointed out the impact of a shorter festive period, along with a prolonged monsoon, on sales in the December quarter. They remain cautiously optimistic that the cyclical recovery, infrastructure push and stabilising consumption patterns will support volume growth even as competitive intensity stays elevated. Asian Paints MD and CEO Amit Syngle said the market continues to witness strong competitive pressure with no signs of a pullback. He added that the company is focusing on structural cost reductio

The brokerage has reiterated its 'Buy' rating on the stock, with a revised target price of ₹1,450, valuing the company at 35x Dec'27E earnings.

ICICI Securities, which had upgraded the Asian Paints stock in June 2025, said several tailwinds are now in place.

Motilal Oswal reiterated its 'Buy' rating on Grasim stock with a target price of ₹3,550, an upside of 28 per cent from Thursday's close

Paint makers posted marginal Q1 growth after four quarters of decline, with demand aided by softer raw material prices and early festive season, though margins remain under pressure

Parth Jindal says JSW Paints' acquisition of AkzoNobel India will strengthen decorative and industrial paint segments; Dulux, tech tie-up key to long-term strategy

Reflecting an intense competition in the Indian decorative paints industry with new entrants offering aggressive pricing and discounting, leading players have reported impact on sales realisation and margins in FY25, but expect a modest growth this year. The industry, which also faced a demand slowdown from urban markets and downtrading, where consumers are moving towards more affordable options, expects a modest growth in FY26, driven by favourable macroeconomic conditions, rising urbanisation, and increased construction and infrastructure development activities. Asian Paints which holds over 50 per cent of the domestic market said new entrants as well as established players with their "aggressive pricing and discounting strategies" are intensifying competition, which affected its value realisations as well as the profitability. The overall weak consumption trends prevalent through FY25 had a dampening impact on the domestic decorative paints market, particularly the urban markets,

Firm's mcap surges 84% in 4 years; combined mcap of rivals slips 23%

Acquisitions are a high risk strategy; there are advantages in utilizing one's own strengths

Few stay in frame as soft sales and rising competition blur the outlook canvas

Birla Opus' market share reached 6.8 per cent in the latest quarter

Given the multiple headwinds facing the sector, the stock has shed about 15 per cent over the past year and is down 25 per cent over the past three years

Birla Opus is the paints division of the Aditya Birla Group subsidiary Grasim Industries

The Indian paint industry, after witnessing robust growth in FY'22 and FY'23, is bracing for a challenging landscape marked by intensifying competition and margin pressures, according to a report. Revenue growth for long-established players such as Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Kansai Nerolac, Akzo Nobel, and Indigo Paints moderated to 4 per cent in FY'24, significantly lower than the 14-15 per cent CAGR recorded between FY'19 and FY'23, CareEdge Ratings said in its study. The decline was attributed to price cuts with softening raw material costs and an increasing share of lower-value products in the sales mix. While the volume growth remained high at over 10 per cent, the revenue moderation can be attributed to price cuts undertaken by the players to partly pass on softening raw material cost and change in product mix with a growing share of lower-value products," the report said. The revenue was further impacted in the first half of FY'25 (H1FY'25) due to stiff competition, genera

The brokerage sees brighter prospects for these emerging contenders (Berger & Indigo) in the second half of FY25 (H2FY25), citing several headwinds for Asian Paints that could limit its growth

Asian Paints Q2FY25 results: During the quarter, the company's net sales stood at Rs 8,003.02 crore, down 5.3%

JSW Group, Adani Group, Aditya Birla Group, and Asian Paints Ltd have been approached as potential buyers for the deal

Akzo Noble India shares climbed following the start of commercial production of powder coating products from its Gwalior plant with an installed capacity of 5,166 tonne per annum.

Roy's comments come in the wake of the entry by the Aditya Birla group into the decorative paints segment

Some brokerages have reduced target prices after muted Q1 showing