Aditya Birla Group's paints business, Birla Opus, with an initial investment of Rs 5,000 crore, which it then doubled to Rs 10,000 crore, is poised to alter the market share in the paint business, seeking to secure the second position in the decorative paints market. The group is scheduled to add 40% to the present industry capacity after all six facilities commence production. All six manufacturing plants are entirely sustainable, with zero liquid discharge, and endowed with 4th generation manufacturing technology to manage supply chain processes at lightning speed, zero defects, and end-to-end traceability. Birla Opus has six strategically located, completely automated, integrated, and global-scale manufacturing facilities with a total commercial capacity of 1,332 MLPA (million liters per annum), surpassing the current capacity of second, third, and fourth competitors in the industry. The company will commence production at three units in Panipat, Ludhiana, and Cheyyar with 533 mlpa and expects to increase capacity at Chamarajanagar, Mahad, and Kharagpur by the end of the next fiscal.
The Aditya Birla Group Chairman unveiling the Birla Opus logo embodies the trust that underpins the Aditya Birla brand, with 'Opus' signifying beauty exemplified. The word ‘Opus’ is derived from the Latin phrase “magnum opus," which represents a magnificent work of art.
Birla Opus will offer the widest range in the industry, with 145+ products and 1200+ SKUs across water-based paints, enamel paints, wood coatings, waterproofing, and wallpapers. According to the announcement, products will be available in Punjab, Haryana, and Tamil Nadu by mid-March 2024, as well as across all 1 lakh population cities in India by July 2024. The company intends to expeditiously expand its distribution to over 6,000 communities by the end of the fiscal year. This will be the quickest and widest pan-India rollout by any paint brand. Birla Opus will exhibit the largest selection of 2,300+ tintable color choices, including 216 iconic Indian colors.
As a customer-centric organization, Birla Opus is poised to implement a unique and pathbreaking customer assurance program momentarily. The company is committed to a higher product warranty than the leading competitors across most water-based products and is also establishing a benchmark by offering a first-time warranty on enamels and wood finish products.
As per a research report by Nuvama, as of 2023, Asian Paints dominates the Indian paints industry business with 53% market share, followed by Berger (approx. 19%) and Kansai Nerolac (about 12%). Birla said that the company's capacity in the first year of operation will be higher than the combined current capacity of the second, third, and fourth largest competitors in the industry. The company intends to register 50,000 dealers and disseminate tinting machines free for 95% of them. The company intends to attain a market share of 9% by the end of next financial year and become the second-largest player in three years.
