NEW DELHI: Japanese Nippon Paint is expanding in the Indian automotive market. The company, which started its global automotive aftermarket paints business from India, is now foraying into car body repair and paints services in order to go deeper into the fast-growing automotive aftermarket business.
Sharad Malhotra, Director and President (Automotive Refinishes) at Nippon Paint India, said the company expects strong business opportunities in the automotive aftermarket paints business, and will be expanding in India, while also exporting some of the production to overseas markets.
The new pilot project in body workshops — called Mastercraft — is one such initiative. “This is a global project. We are starting in India as a pilot. We are looking more at quality now and depending on the journey here and customers’ response, we would decide in the next three to six months on further expansion in India and other global markets,” Malhotra said.
While the pilot Mastercraft retail has been opened in the Delhi-NCR region, the company plans national expansion through its network of partners and franchises. “We want to provide innovative and best in class services, many of which are not commonly available in India, by leveraging our international experience and technology,” Malhotra said.
Malhotra said that post Covid, Nippon Paints has been focusing on growing the automotive paints business globally, in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. “We made India into a global market for Indian products. As India does not have a big need for paints, we developed a lot of export markets. Today, India is the biggest exporter of aftermarket paints in our group. We converted India into an export market.”
The company exports to over a dozen international markets now. “Some the developed markets include Australia, and countries in the Middle East. We also export to Africa, and in Southeast Asia.”
The automotive paints aftermarket business has now grown into a $240 million enterprise after being initiated from India in 2014, Malhotra added. “India accounts for nearly $70 million of this operation.”
Sharad Malhotra, Director and President (Automotive Refinishes) at Nippon Paint India, said the company expects strong business opportunities in the automotive aftermarket paints business, and will be expanding in India, while also exporting some of the production to overseas markets.
The new pilot project in body workshops — called Mastercraft — is one such initiative. “This is a global project. We are starting in India as a pilot. We are looking more at quality now and depending on the journey here and customers’ response, we would decide in the next three to six months on further expansion in India and other global markets,” Malhotra said.
While the pilot Mastercraft retail has been opened in the Delhi-NCR region, the company plans national expansion through its network of partners and franchises. “We want to provide innovative and best in class services, many of which are not commonly available in India, by leveraging our international experience and technology,” Malhotra said.
Malhotra said that post Covid, Nippon Paints has been focusing on growing the automotive paints business globally, in line with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. “We made India into a global market for Indian products. As India does not have a big need for paints, we developed a lot of export markets. Today, India is the biggest exporter of aftermarket paints in our group. We converted India into an export market.”
The company exports to over a dozen international markets now. “Some the developed markets include Australia, and countries in the Middle East. We also export to Africa, and in Southeast Asia.”
The automotive paints aftermarket business has now grown into a $240 million enterprise after being initiated from India in 2014, Malhotra added. “India accounts for nearly $70 million of this operation.”