Nippon Paint India, part of the NIPSEA Group and a subsidiary of Nippon Paint Holdings, has recently announced a focused India-centric growth strategy under its new Managing Director, Sharad Malhotra. This marks the company’s first detailed articulation of its India plans following the leadership transition.

The strategy centres on strengthening an India-focused operating model, accelerating pan-India market expansion through a unified approach, and pursuing selective inorganic growth to reinforce the company’s portfolio. With seven manufacturing plants across the country and deep technical expertise originating from Japan, the company aims to build a self-sustaining India platform rooted in manufacturing excellence, quality and local market relevance.

Nippon Paint India plans to step up investments beyond its traditionally strong southern markets, sharpen market segmentation and deepen penetration across high-growth urban and semi-urban centres. At the same time, it will consolidate leadership in core regions while strengthening its nationwide distribution footprint.

Commenting on the direction, Sharad Malhotra said India is a priority long-term market, with the company focused on a differentiated, India-first strategy anchored in manufacturing strength, disciplined execution and local relevance. He added that direct access to Japanese technology, governance standards and manufacturing discipline would support the creation of a compelling India-specific growth model aligned with global benchmarks.

Complementing this vision, Mark Titus, President, Decorative Business, highlighted strong long-term opportunities driven by premiumisation, brand building and stronger channel and influencer partnerships. He noted that the decorative business would scale thoughtfully while bringing global best practices in product innovation and manufacturing excellence to the Indian market.

Under the new leadership, all paints and coatings businesses will be consolidated under a unified operating model. This integrated approach is expected to enable flexible manufacturing, operational leverage and a cohesive pan-India distribution network, supporting scale and synergies across segments.

With over six decades of leadership across Asia-Pacific, Nippon Paint brings a track record of technology-led growth and disciplined expansion to its India journey. The company remains focused on balanced growth across decorative, industrial, automotive refinish, automotive OEM and wood coating segments, with sustainability, innovation and strong governance underpinning its long-term value creation strategy in India.