Painting the Future

31 Oct 2017 Editorial Team

Against the backdrop of policy changes, the paints industry is experiencing a shift driven by technology and a more aware consumer, says ANUJ JAIN. Be it GST, demonetisation or employment of digital platforms, whenever changes are introduced in any system, teething issues are bound to surface. It will be a learning and growing experience for everyone, one that will take time. We have to see how it pans out to completely understand the challenges and it will be too soon to predict accurately all the nuances. Kansai Nerolac has been launching future-ready technology. We started to integrate GST with our systems much in advance. We conducted workshops for our teams, dealers and other partners to make sure we do not face any major issues once GST is implemented. All these preparations made us start GST billing smoothly. The impact of demonetisation was temporary and demand was back from February 2017 onwards. After the implementation of GST, primary demand was affected in June because of destocking by traders but there was no impact on secondary demand. We foresee that traders will take some time to understand the new system but the situation will be normal soon. A shift driven by technology and awareness On an industry level, there is a shift happening, driven by both technology and the evolving consumer. Today's consumer is far more involved and interested in the painting process; this marks a change in the environment of the category at large. Customers are looking for inspiration to do up their homes and exposure to global trends is feeding this need for contemporary homes. New homeowners, who are painting their homes for the first time, are also in need of information on product selection. Keeping that in mind, we have recently launched a first-of-its-kind product advisory service, where consumers simply need to dial **PAINT to get the required information. Additionally, we are leveraging digital platforms and tools to make inspirational material available to consumers and allow them to experiment with the same. In addition to this, the demand for premium, technologically superior, functional paints has also gone up. In fact, the paints category is seeing a wave of 'premiumisation' across the country, with homeowners painting not just during the festive season but other times as well. We have merged our expertise and technology to introduce initiatives that will address these consumer needs and enable us to tap emerging platforms. We have recently started piloting Nerolac Master Painter on a digital platform that will work as an aggregator for trained painters spread across different cities of India; customers can find reliable painters for their service in three easy steps. The company has been among the first to introduce an online painter aggregation platform like this. The service is currently operational in Delhi, Kolkata and Pune and will soon be extended to other select cities. Eco aware Another change seen across lifestyle and decor is the rise of the 'responsible' and eco-aware consumer. Awareness of the presence of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in paint and their impact on the environment, the painter and the home is rising and is influencing the choice of paint in homes. Keeping with its promise of 'Healthy Homes', the company decided to launch a unique initiative called 'Nerolac Breathing Cities' to create awareness among citizens about the growing menace of air pollution and environmental depletion and the fact that it's no longer someone else's battle. We are driving conversations through various initiatives, ultimately leading to action. The idea is to further push the goal of colourful and healthier living spaces; paint being one of the key ingredients of the same. About the author: Anuj Jain, Director-Decorative and Industrial Sales & Marketing, Kansai Nerolac Paints, has been responsible for giving Nerolac the desired focus in sales and marketing processes that have resulted in strengthening the company's position in the market. Having risen through the ranks over a period of about 25 years, he has brought innovation in Nerolac's marketing strategy and plans and has made remarkable contributions to the company's growth.