Agency
new delhi, Nov 19
Birla Opus Paints, a division of Grasim Industries Ltd on Tuesday announced the unveiling of its fourth plant at Chamarajnagar, Mysore. The fully automated, integrated paint plant, unveiled by Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla, commenced its commercial production today and will raise the company’s manufacturing capacity to 866 MLPA (Million Litres Per Annum).
Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “The launch of Birla Opus Paints earlier this year marked a pivotal moment in the Indian paints industry as we look to redefine the industry. The business is progressing in line with the plan with an impactful journey so far and is on track to hit the revenue target of Rs 10,000 crore within the first 3 years of full-scale operations.”
He added, “To cater specifically to the growing needs of the southern region, our fourth state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Chamarajnagar supports our growth strategy. This new facility will help us provide quality products and services to customers with increased responsiveness, underscoring our unwavering commitment to becoming a leader in the decorative paint industry.”
The Chamarajnagar plant, with a capacity of 230 MLPA, will produce Water based paints, Enamel paints and Wood Finish Paints. The Water based paints will use in-house manufactured advanced Emulsions as key raw material through a unique polymer synthesis process. The Solvent based paints will use in-house resins with exquisite designer molecules for high corrosion resistance, better durability, faster drying and superior gloss. The plant, it said, is fully sustainable with zero liquid discharge and equipped with 4th generation manufacturing technology to manage supply chain at lightning speed, with zero defects and end to end product traceability. Birla Opus Paints had previously outlined its plans to establish six strategically located manufacturing plants with a total capacity of 1,332 MLPA, at an upfront investment of Rs 10,000 crore.
The paints business has already incurred a total capex of Rs 8,470 crore. (85 per cent of the total project costs). Currently, four plants are operational, contributing 866 MLPA. Of the remaining two, the Mahad plant near Pune has entered trial production, while the Kharagpur plant near Kolkata is progressing as planned, the company said.
Himanshu Kapania, Director, Aditya Birla Group, said, “Birla Opus Paints continues to make rapid strides as part of its growth journey. With 4 out of our 6 state-of-the-art, fully automated manufacturing plants now operational across Panipat, Ludhiana, Cheyyar and Chamarajnagar, we are well-positioned to meet growing demand by having higher supply capacity. The inauguration of our fourth plant marks a key milestone, reinforcing our commitment to progress.”
At the time of launch, Birla Opus Paints had committed to offer the widest product range with 145+ products and 1,200 SKUs across Water based paints, enamel paint, Wood Finishes, Waterproofing and Wallpaper. As of September 2024 end, the company has already placed 129 products out of planned 145+ products with over 900 SKUs.
Rakshit Hargave, CEO, Birla Opus Paints, said, “Our dedication to cutting-edge R&D, ESG initiatives, and smart factory technology is delivering the best quality of decorative paints in the country with a host of differentiated product features for the entire eco system. The opening of our fourth fully automated factory is a reinforcement to our commitment of building a successful paints business in India.”
Birla Opus Paints today also announced the pilot launch of its Franchisee led Painting Services – PaintCraft Partner to supplement its direct painting services.