MUMBAI: Birla Opus, the fast-growing paint brand from Aditya Birla Group, is focusing on expanding its dealer network and widening its product portfolio for fiscal year 2026, according to CEO Rakshit Hargave.
The brand, which entered the decorative paints segment in February 2024, has achieved high single-digit growth in FY 2025 despite being operational for only about 10 months. Hargave expects similar momentum to continue in the coming year.
"There is a long journey ahead of us. We do not expect any major change in our strategy," Hargave told the Press Trust of India. "We will drive more throughput for dealers and increase the range available at dealers."
Birla Opus is rapidly establishing its market presence. The company recently commercialised its fifth manufacturing plant in Mahad, Maharashtra, bringing its total installed capacity to 1,096 million liters per annum. A sixth plant in Kharagpur is scheduled to begin trial production in the next quarter, which will add another 236 million liters of capacity.
Aditya Birla Group has invested Rs 10,000 crore in the paint business and aims to capture a double-digit market share and generate gross revenue of Rs 10,000 crore within three years of full-scale operations.
Birla Opus has employed a multi-pronged marketing approach to establish its brand presence in a competitive market dominated by industry veterans. The company's advertising campaigns—Naye Zamane ka Naya Paint (New Paint for a New Era) and Make Life Beautiful—have reportedly reached over 70 crore Indians, garnering positive responses across markets.
The paint manufacturer has strategically positioned itself as a major sponsor of the Indian Premier League (IPL), one of India's most-watched sporting events. The cricket tournament, which airs on the JioStar network of sports channels and JioHotstar streaming platform from 22 March, gives Birla Opus significant visibility among its target audience
To enhance customer experience, Birla Opus is opening 10 Paint Studios across major Indian cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The first such studio was recently launched in Gurugram.
"The purpose of these studios is to provide a one-stop-shop experience for the end consumer," explained Hargave.
Currently, Birla Opus offers 145+ products and 1,200+ SKUs across water-based paints, enamel paints, wood finishes, waterproofing solutions, and wallpapers. The brand also provides direct painting services through its PaintCraft initiative.
As a newcomer in an industry dominated by established players like Asian Paints, Berger, and Kansai Nerolac, Birla Opus is focused on getting "many of the basics right, but at the same time, creating differentiation for the consumer in paints," Hargave added.
With the Indian economy expected to reach $10 trillion by 2034 and the paints sector projected to surpass Rs 3,00,000 crore by that time, Birla Opus appears well-positioned to capitalise on the country's growing infrastructure development and housing initiatives.
