Nippon Paint India, a subsidiary of Japan’s Nippon Paint Holdings and part of the NIPSEA Group, has announced Sharad Malhotra as its new Managing Director and outlined a sharpened India-focused growth roadmap. This marks the first comprehensive articulation of the company’s India strategy following the leadership transition, underscoring India’s importance as a long-term growth market for the Asia Pacific’s leading paint and coatings manufacturer.
Under Malhotra’s leadership, the company will reinforce its India-first operating approach, drive unified pan-India expansion, and explore selective inorganic growth opportunities to strengthen its portfolio. With seven manufacturing facilities across the country, strong Japanese technical capabilities, and a solid ‘Make in India’ base, Nippon Paint India aims to build a self-reliant platform rooted in manufacturing excellence, quality, and local market relevance.
The renewed strategy includes increased investments beyond the company’s traditionally strong southern markets, sharper market segmentation, and deeper penetration in high-growth urban and semi-urban centres. Alongside expansion, the company will continue to consolidate its leadership in core regions while enhancing its nationwide distribution network.
Speaking on the company’s strategic direction, Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India, said, “India is a priority, long-term market for Nippon Paint, and our focus is on building a differentiated, India-first growth strategy anchored in manufacturing strength, disciplined execution, and deep local relevance. As a truly integrated global paints and coatings company operating in India, we bring direct access to Japanese technology, governance standards, and manufacturing discipline. As the first Indian Managing Director of Nippon Paint India, my mandate is to build a compelling, India-specific growth model that aligns with global standards while responding to local market realities.”
Highlighting the opportunity in the decorative paints segment, Mark Titus, President, Decorative Business, Nippon Paint India, said, “India represents a significant long-term opportunity for Nippon Paint’s decorative business. We see significant headroom for growth driven by premiumisation, brand building and stronger channel and influencer partnerships. Our strategy is to scale thoughtfully and bring global best practices in product innovation and manufacturing excellence to the Indian market. As we expand our dealer and distribution footprint across regions, we remain committed to applying global best practices while building strong, market-relevant brands in India.”
As part of the new leadership structure, Nippon Paint India will bring all its paints and coatings businesses under a single, integrated operating model. This unified approach is expected to enable greater manufacturing flexibility, operational efficiencies, and a cohesive pan-India distribution system, supporting scale and synergy across segments.
With more than six decades of leadership across the Asia-Pacific region, Nippon Paint continues to build on its technology-led growth and disciplined expansion across coatings categories. In India, the company will pursue balanced growth across decorative, industrial, automotive OEM, automotive refinish, and wood coatings, with a strong focus on customer-centric innovation, brand differentiation, and long-term value creation.
Sustainability, innovation, and governance remain central to the Group’s global philosophy. Nippon Paint’s “Asset Assembler” model supports sustainable earnings growth through organic expansion and selective M&A, reinforcing its commitment to building resilient, future-ready businesses in the Indian market.
Read more: Nippon Paint Elevates Mark Titus As President – Decorative Business In India
