Heading for the Exit

As the competition intensifies in India’s paint industry, Dutch firm AkzoNobel is looking to become a minor partner to an established player

KRISHNA GOPALAN

WHEN DUTCH PAINT company AkzoNo-bel said in the third week of September that it was planning to cut 2,000 jobs globally, the signs looked ominous. Just a few months before that announcement, the paint company, which is known for the Dulux brand, had closed plants in Ireland, the Netherlands, and Zambia. Soon after that there was a review of its decorative business in South Asia. Of course, that included India as well, where AkzoNobel has a 5-6% market share (it has been in India for 70 years through various rounds of ownership), with nimblefooted local players only getting stronger. Asian Paints remains the largest, followed by Berger Paints, and then there’s Birla Opus’ aggressive launch, which has only put more pressure on smaller players. The question is, what options are…

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Business Today (Digital) - 1 Issue, 5 January 2025

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