Fresh coat of confidence for legacy paintmakers as stocks rebound

Birla Opus' early gloss fades, giving seasoned players room to repaint the market as disruption fears dry out and demand colours back in

Shares of the country’s largest paintmaker, Asian Paints, rose 4 per cent last week. Brokerages are turning optimistic about the market leader and its peers, Berger Paints India and Kansai Nerolac Paints. Analysts say the feared disruption from new entrants hasn’t played out.

 

They expect legacy players to regain ground once demand begins to pick up from the third quarter (October–December/Q3) of 2025-26 (FY26). That could also help reverse their weak run over the past 18 months. Asian Paints and Nerolac are down 8 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively, over the past year,