India's fair trade regulator Competition Commission of India (CCI) has launched a formal investigation against India's biggest paints firm, Asian Paints, for alleged abuse of its dominant position in the organised decorative paints market, following a complaint by Aditya Birla group's Grasim Industries' Birla Opus Paints division.
Indian paint majors, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, reported better-than-expected performance in Q4FY26, driven by steady demand, improved product mix, and strategic price hikes. The sector is also benefiting from reduced competitive intensity as new players also increase prices, narrowing the gap with incumbents.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries on Monday sold 85 lakh shares of Asian Paints for Rs 1,876 crore through an open market transaction.
Asian Paints reported a good performance for the second quarter (July-September) of 2025-26 (Q2FY26), with some help from base effects, despite strong competition and extended monsoon. Volume grew in low double digits in the key domestic decorative paints, and value in that segment grew by 6 per cent. Ebitda (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) grew 21 per cent year-on-year (Y-o-Y), and PAT (profit after tax) grew 14 per cent. Asian Paints also defended market share better after several quarters where it had lost ground to Birla Opus.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade, driven by strong buying in blue-chip stocks and positive cues from Asian markets, following a significant selloff in the previous session.
Major paint companies in India, including Asian Paints, Berger Paints, Akzo Paints, and Kansai Nerolac, have announced price hikes ranging from 1% to 8% across various product lines, effective from mid-March to late April, in response to persistently high crude oil and gas prices.
The paint sector is seeing heightened competition with the entry of deep-pocketed groups like Aditya Birla and JSW. However, some brokerages see an opportunity in select stocks.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty climbed in early trade, driven by buying in blue-chip stocks like Reliance Industries and ICICI Bank, alongside a notable cooling in crude oil prices.
Shares of paint companies faced pressure, falling up to 5 per cent on the BSE in Monday's (February 26) intraday trade amid concerns that Grasim Industries' entry into the paint sector will intensify the competition. Asian Paints reached a 10-month low of Rs 2,850, slipping nearly 5 per cent after brokerage firm CLSA downgraded the stock following the Birla Opus launch. The paint maker's stock traded at its lowest level since April 28, 2023.
Market benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty drifted lower in early trade on Monday amid renewed hostilities between the US and Iran. The 30-share BSE Sensex declined 63.65 points to 77,047.63 during initial trading. The 50-share NSE Nifty went marginally up by 16.55 points to 24,070.20. Later, the BSE benchmark dropped 246.54 points to 76,853.93, and the Nifty dipped 50.55 points to 24,005.45. Track Sensex, Nifty on June 29.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, saw a rebound in early trade, driven by a rally in global markets and easing Brent crude oil prices, with hopes of US-Iran peace negotiations also contributing to investor optimism. Track Sensex, Nifty on May 22
Asian Paints has for long sold very small cans of paint which are used to colour the horns of bulls during the Pola festival in Maharashtra and the auspicious small red and yellow stripes at the bottom of the front door of Tamil Nadu homes. This might not always be remunerative, but it has given a tremendous boost to the company's brand recall.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, opened higher, tracking positive global trends and easing crude oil prices, fueled by hopes of a swift resolution to the West Asia conflict. Track Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex performance and key global triggers.
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty rebounded in early trade, driven by buying in blue-chip stocks and a positive trend in Asian markets, with domestic institutional investors providing crucial support.
Indian stock markets, including the Sensex and Nifty, rebounded significantly, driven by a decline in crude oil prices and positive global cues stemming from hopes of diplomatic progress in US-Iran negotiations.
Share prices of Nestle India, Asian Paints, Bandhan Bank, Tata Technologies, AU Small Finance Bank and Avenue Supermarts, all a part of the BSE 500 index, have hit their respective 52-week lows on the BSE in Thursday's intra-day trade after a sharp correction in the equity markets.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, saw gains in early trade, driven by strong performance in banking shares and positive sentiment from Asian markets, alongside optimism surrounding the ongoing US-China Summit.
"The shutdown is partly because of inventory pile up and partly for annual maintenance," said a company spokesperson. "It can take from a week to a month to re-start the plant," he said, without giving more details. India's economy is expected to grow at a slower pace by the end of this financial year as demand for homes, offices and cars slows. The impact of the slowdown on the paint, home and office furnishing industry is expected to be felt with a lag, say analysts.
A company spokesperson said the operations in Queensland were small and not expected to make any significant impact in the company's performance.
Indian markets on Dalal Street rallied sharply as easing tensions in the US-Iran conflict and stable oil prices boosted sentiment. Track Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex performance and key global triggers.
Indian stock markets extended their gains for a second consecutive session, with the Sensex closing 736 points higher, driven by a global equity rally and a significant drop in crude oil prices following the finalisation of a peace deal between the US and Iran to end their 107-day conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Indian benchmark equity indices Sensex and Nifty closed higher, recovering from previous losses, driven by a global market rebound, a pause in Israel-Iran hostilities, and a rally in bank stocks.
Raja Ravi Varma's painting Yashoda and Krishna was recently acquired by Cyrus Poonawalla and his son, the vaccine manufacturer's CEO Adar Poonawalla, for Rs 167.2 crore, setting a new benchmark for modern Indian art.
Indian stock market benchmark indices closed higher, driven by strong performance in blue-chip bank shares and a positive trend in global markets, with hopes of progress in US-Iran peace negotiations also contributing to optimism.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed almost unchanged in a volatile session as investors reacted cautiously to mounting geopolitical headwinds and a significant jump in crude oil prices, with Brent crude surging to USD 94.68 per barrel.
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty declined in early trade, driven by persistent concerns over the unresolved US-Iran situation and continued outflows from foreign institutional investors.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, experienced a decline in early trade, ending a three-day rally, primarily due to heavy selling in IT stocks and concerns over prolonged instability in West Asia.
Indian markets on Dalal Street rallied sharply as easing tensions in the US-Iran conflict and stable oil prices boosted sentiment. Track Nifty 50 and BSE Sensex performance and key global triggers.
Indian benchmark indices, Sensex and Nifty, rallied significantly following a sharp decline in crude oil prices. This decline was triggered by US President Donald Trump's announcement of progress in negotiations with Iran towards a peace agreement, which led to renewed optimism in global markets.
Indian benchmark equity indices, Sensex and Nifty, closed marginally higher, breaking a four-day losing streak, despite elevated crude oil prices and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties. The market saw a temporary pause in panic selling, though cautious sentiment persists.
Indian benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty surged over 1 per cent, with the Sensex jumping 918.60 points, driven by strong buying in banking and financial counters and a positive trend in global equities, fuelled by hopes of easing West Asia tensions.
The government has sold its 9.2 per cent holding in ICI India to Asian Paints for Rs 205 per share -- a premium of 16% over the market price.
Indian equity benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty experienced a significant tumble in early trade, with the Sensex tanking nearly 700 points, driven by uncertainty surrounding US-Iran negotiations, a fresh spike in crude oil prices, and persistent foreign fund outflows.
A weaker-than-expected sales performance, concerns about higher competitive intensity in the current year, and earning cuts by some brokerages have weighed on the stock of the country's largest paint maker, Asian Paints. While the Q3 volume show was slightly below expectations, the company's operational and bottom line beat estimates, benefiting from the falling raw material costs. The stock ended the day with a decline of over 2 per cent at Rs 3,175 apiece.
Asian Paints India plans to set up a unit for the manufacture of 100,000 tonnes per annum of paints at Pondicherry.
Sensex gains over 400 points while Nifty trades above 23,800 amid strong IT sector buying.
