Coatings
Berger Paints eyes 5% value growth in Q2, targets doubling turnover by 2029
Coating major Berger Paints India Ltd has implemented three price hikes since June, which are expected to boost its 'value' growth to around 5 per cent in the second quarter ending September 2024, while maintaining a volume growth target of at least 10 per cent, an official said on Monday. Speaking after the company's 100th AGM, Berger revealed that its next milestone is to double its turnover to Rs 20,000 crore by 2029, up from Rs 10,000 crore in FY2024. The company also plans to close down the Howrah plant and convert it into a larger R&D centre by the end of 2025, once the greenfield Panagarh facility in West Bengal becomes operational. "We achieved a volume growth of 11.8 per cent in Q1 of FY2025, but value growth was just 2.5 per cent due to factors like price decreases, reduced raw material costs, and a slowdown in the luxury paints segment in West Bengal and Kerala. "The three price hikes between June and August will improve and mitigate the cost impact of 1.5 per cent, ...
 "Berger Paints eyes 5% value growth in Q2, targets doubling turnover by 2029")
 "Aum Dacro Coatings Launches Advanced Facility in Vallam, Chennai, in Proximity to Key OEMs")
New durable coating may kill Covid virus in minutes, say US scientists
Scientists in the US have developed a durable and safe-to-use coating that may kill the COVID-19 causing SARS-CoV-2 virus, E. coli and MRSA bacteria, and a variety of other pathogens within minutes. The coating developed by researchers at the University of Michigan killed 99.9 per cent of microbes even after months of repeated cleaning and abrasion on real-world surfaces like keyboards, cell phone screens and chicken-slathered cutting boards. The coating could be a game changer in traditionally germ-laden public spaces like airports and hospitals, said Anish Tuteja, a professor at the University of Michigan. "Disinfectant cleaners can kill germs in only a minute or two but they dissipate quickly and leave surfaces vulnerable to reinfection" said Tuteja, a co-corresponding author of the research published in the journal Matter. "We do have long-lasting antibacterial surfaces based on metals like copper and zinc, but they take hours to kill bacteria. This coating offers the best of b
 "New durable coating may kill Covid virus in minutes, say US scientists")
New functional coatings may offer major business potential
Hydrophobic, self-healing, and even air-cleaning coatings will have a big impact in medical, aerospace, and construction, says Lux Research
