Corporates

Paint wars: how challengers cracked Asian Paints’ dominance

Anuj Suvarna

July 14, 2025 | 12 Min Read

Deep-pocketed challengers with free machines and bold tactics are smashing the barriers that kept Asian Paints and rivals at the top for decades in India's Rs 80,000-crore industry.

Key Takeaways

India’s paint industry is seeing its biggest shake-up as giants like Birla Opus challenge incumbents
Birla’s free, compact tinting machines are breaking Asian Paints’ dealer lock-in
New players are okay with lower returns, putting pressure on margins industry-wide
Incumbents are cutting prices and boosting dealer spends, hurting profitability as deep moats like logistics and dealer economics are now being breached

They say watching paint dry is boring because nothing ever happens. For decades, India's Rs 80,000-crore paint industry was exactly that: predictable, sleepy, unchanged. Those days are over.

The industry worked like a private club. A few big names, led by Asian Paints, controlled the shops, charged what they liked, and kept newcomers out.

That cosy setup is now unravelling under assault from industrial heavyweights who have arrived with deep pockets, bold strategies, and an appetite for disruption.

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