Latest news with #AsianPaints'
Indian Express
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘Rekha is my neighbour': Inside Zoya Akhtar's art-filled, sea-facing Mumbai home
'I grew up on the sea. It's a big part of my life,' Zoya Akhtar confesses at the start of her home tour. True to her words, her Mumbai home has sweeping views of the sea and a warm palette of brown, white, and ochre yellow. 'I think Farhan and I both were instilled with a big sense of history,' she said in the tour for Asian Paints' Where The Heart Is, referencing her brother and fellow filmmaker. 'At the same time, we were just allowed to explore the world.' Her home, which once belonged to her parents in the 1970s, has seen everything—from poetry readings and film parties to everyday madness. 'All the rooms, the walls resonate. It's seen some crazy times.' The house's aesthetic reflects Zoya's eclectic sensibility. 'It's got old things mixed with new things,' she notes, having picked up objects and art from her travels. In her words, 'It's my style. But the soul of the house—it's elder.' Her living room, bathed in natural light, is grounded by neutral walls and energised with pops of colour through textiles and art. 'My walls are all white because I like colour coming in with different elements,' she explains. 'If I want, I can change this room overnight.' A favourite feature? A pair of 1950s aviator chairs made of metal, leather and wood. 'They've got a bit of a bounce when you're on them. They break my room up… funks it up a bit.' While one room is all about hosting, others are about quietude. 'This couch is my second home,' she laughs, referring to her cosy den filled with DVDs ('I will not get rid of them!') and an enormous tree trunk-turned-table that anchors the space. 'This is the room where a lot of the writing happens… where a lot of the hanky happens… where the watching happens.' Zoya is unapologetically attached to her books and films. 'I don't care about clothes really… but if you take my books and you don't return them, you're not going to be invited to the next dinner party.' Her study overflows with cookbooks, photography anthologies, and well-thumbed novels. 'I'm not crazy… I will not learn something, but I do like having them around.' A quote that tells you everything you need to know about her priorities: 'I don't want to lose my books and I don't want to lose my films.' Upstairs, her bedroom faces the sea—her 'sanity in the city.' She uses it only for sleep, calling it her 'sleep sanctum.' A glowing globe sits by the bed, echoing her childhood fascination. 'I always feel like I can travel the world without leaving my room. It gives you perspective… you're just a speck, a dot.' And then there's the backyard—a rare green escape in Mumbai's concrete jungle. 'I thank my parents every day for this,' she says, crediting her mother for the lush greenery. 'It's nice to have a little patch of grass in the city.'
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Asian Paints launches its 22nd design forecast for homes in India for 2025
Each year, the Asian Paints ColourNext Colour and Material Intelligence forecast offers insights into potential design trends for the upcoming year, having tracked cultural, aesthetic, and material trends for over two decades. A product of a collaborative endeavour between experts of different creative disciplines, this unique perspective identifies a Colour of the Year, Wallpaper of the Year, and four key trend narratives, encapsulating the emotional, technological, and cultural forces shaping design. Asian Paints' ColourNext 2025 forecast, according to Managing Director and CEO Amit Syngle, aims to provide insights into potential colour and material trends in India through research and analysis. Syngle states that this unique report reflects cultural, emotional, and aesthetic shifts, with the 'Colour of the Year,' Cardinal, and four design directions intended to serve as a source of inspiration for designers and creators. He also emphasised the company's commitment to contributing to industry dialogue and innovation in design. The Victorians saw minimalism as a sign of poverty, and so they leaned heavily towards ornate furniture, dark wood, and intricate wallpapers. But the mid-20th century modernists rejected that in favour of sleek, minimalist lines and open spaces. Fast forward to the 1960s, and we see Andy Warhol turn the idea of 'fine art' on its head with his pop art aesthetic, elevating commercial graphics and mass culture into museum-worthy art. Just 30 years later, the same bright neons, animal prints, and kitsch were considered over-the-top, only to make a massive comeback in the Y2K revival movement we see today. What we see on the surface is a reflection of deeper undercurrents. The 1920s Art Deco movement reflected a post-war desire for luxury and optimism, while the 1950s Mid-Century Modern aesthetic emerged from a world recovering from war, craving simplicity and function. As the world exerts its will to shape us, we in turn, shape our surroundings in ways that comfort and invite, interest and challenge us. Closer to home, we're seeing this play out in our own lives post-pandemic, with maximalism making a return as we move away from stark minimalism to warmer, bolder, more expressive spaces that affirm life and invite participation. Clean, muted palettes give way to bold colours, intricate patterns, and layered textures. For 2025, according to Asian Paints' ColourNext forecast, the central theme leans towards authenticity—embracing complexity, feeling deeply, and 'expressing unapologetically.' Asian Paints' ColourNext 2025 forecast has identified 'Cardinal,' a rich, dusky shade, as its Colour of the Year. Rich in emotion, Cardinal is a complex shade that urges us to embrace the spectrum of our feelings. With a balance of depth and vibrancy, this dusky, soulful shade honours human complexity. It is a reminder to feel everything without judgement and to find beauty in raw, unfiltered authenticity. . Whether used in home décor, fashion or product design, the shade adds a layer of richness and introspection making spaces and objects feel personal. Asian Paints' ColourNext 2025 forecast unveils 'Spring Tune' as the wallpaper of the year. inspired by the traditional Indian courtyard aesthetic, Spring Tune reimagines heritage through a contemporary lens. The thoughtfully designed wallpaper features delicate floral motifs and warm hues, combining elements of nostalgia and contemporary minimalism. Balancing quiet elegance with a sense of serenity, Spring Tune transforms spaces into tranquil escapes, offering a visual and emotional retreat in an ever-evolving world. Beyond 'Cardinal' and 'Spring Tune', Asian Paints' ColourNext 2025 forecast presents four design narratives, which reflect broader cultural trends. In an era of digital saturation and algorithmic sameness, Feel More represents the growing desire for visceral, immersive experiences. The design direction embraces tactility, rich textures and colours that aim to evoke genuine emotion. Complex layers, colourful details and expressive forms create spaces that invite connection – offering sensory refuge in a world that feels detached. Feel More is a celebration of design that prioritizes individual expression over perceived perfection. As sustainability takes center stage, the ColourNext forecast report highlights Salt as an emerging biomaterial with immense design potential. Biodegradable, carbon-neutral and anti-bacterial, Salt's unique properties are attracting interest for use across industries – be it interior design, architecture or product innovation. The design narrative takes cue from Salt's crystalline textures, soft milky hues and iridescent blues offering a vision where design and materiality meet with environmental responsibility. Indian design is undergoing a quiet but powerful transformation – moving from cliched depictions to a more confident, globally relevant aesthetic. The ColourNext forecast captures this shift through the design direction India Everywhere. As rich craftmanship meets modern innovation, a new design language emerges, that is both radical and rooted. High contrast palettes, unexpected juxtapositions and details that subtly echo Indian heritage define this evolving identity. Luxury is no longer quiet, it demands attention. The ColourNext forecast explores this shift in Bad taste? – a design story that embraces unapologetic flamboyance, self-expression and maximalism. With changing social structures and the rise of a new consumer class, traditional ideas of luxury are being challenged and redefined. What was once dismissed as excess is now the new language of luxury – with gold accents, animal prints and statement pieces that celebrate individuality. Design and art often explore new ideas and challenge conventional norms. They can reflect personal and cultural narratives, offering different perspectives on both individual and collective identity. Design choices, whether in architecture, interiors, or product development, are influenced by societal values, technological advancements, and evolving aesthetic preferences. The ColourNext 2025 forecast identifies self-expression as a defining force in design, signalling a shift toward more personalised and expressive spaces and products. As India's leading authority in colour and material forecasting, Asian Paints ColourNext recognises this shift as a response to changing cultural dynamics, where individuality takes precedence over convention. In the year ahead, design is set to move beyond restraint, embracing personal story telling and an unapologetic sense of identity. Ultimately, design becomes more than just an aesthetic choice - it serves as a reflection of human experience, capturing the complexities, emotions and nuances of our lives.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Reliance looks for $1.3-billion gloss finish to its exit from Asian Paints
HighlightsReliance Industries Limited has initiated plans to divest its 4.9% stake in Asian Paints, potentially yielding Rs 11,141 crore ($1.31 billion), amid increasing competition and margin pressures in India's $9 billion paints market. Asian Paints' market share has declined to 52% from 59% in fiscal year 2025, as new entrants such as Birla Opus are gaining traction, prompting existing companies to enhance advertising and dealer incentives. The sale of Akzo Nobel's decorative business in India and Sri Lanka is expected to intensify competition in the paint industry, with Indigo Paints and JSW Paints vying for acquisition, which could alter market dynamics. Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) has revived plans to sell its 4.9% stake in Asian Paints by cashing out of its 17-year-old investment in the company at a time when the sector is facing margin pressure and heightened competition, said people in the know. India's paints market worth $9 billion has seen several new entrants seeking to topple No. 1 Asian Paints from its perch. Reliance has engaged Bank of America (BoFA) to manage the transaction, through a single or multiple block deals. However, offers have been at a 6-7% discount to the current market price. In the last 24 hours, several other investment banks and brokers are said having joined in the jostling for buyers. The 4.9% stake will fetch Rs 11,141 crore ($1.31 billion) at the Tuesday closing price of Rs 2,323, down from its 52-week high of Rs 3,394 on September 16 last year. Reliance bought the stake for Rs 500 crore in January 2008, before the global financial crisis hit. The stock has dropped 19.3% in the past year—losing market value of about Rs 51,000 crore. Asian Paints' market share has dropped to 52% from 59% in FY25, according to Elara Securities. Inclusive of dividends, at current market value, Reliance would make a 24-fold return on its investment. Reliance didn't respond to queries. The company may still drop its plans if the bids aren't at the desired price range, said the people involved. Market watchers said the oil-to-telecom conglomerate had explored a similar option five years ago, ahead of launching India's largest rights issue. It was also in the process of deleveraging its balance sheet following a mega capex plan led by telecom. However, it did not go through with the plan and instead raised a combined $25 billion for the digital, telecom, and retail ventures of the conglomerate through investments by Facebook, Google, KKR, General Atlantic and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, pegging the valuations of Jio and Reliance Retail in excess of $100 billion in 2024. But since 2020, about $50 billion has gone into the retail and digital services. Another $9 billion has been earmarked for solar modules, hydrogen electrolysers and energy storage batteries as part of the group's pivot to new energy. 'It's been a non-core bet for them that has given very good returns,' said a company executive. 'The competitive landscape in the industry is changing rapidly and, being the market leader, Asian Paints has taken the hardest knock.' Paint companies have reported muted revenue growth for the fourth consecutive quarter. The companies attributed this to subdued consumer demand, especially in urban markets, as well as an early Diwali. The impact of rising competition is leading to higher rebating and this has been apparent in year-on-year gross margin contraction, despite the reduction in raw material costs. The company's year-on-year revenue growth lagged behind rivals Berger and Kansai Nerolac by 6 percentage points in the first nine months of FY25, in sharp contrast with past trends, said Investec analyst Aditya Bhartia. 'This is likely due to peers penetrating urban areas and (the Aditya Birla Group's) Grasim gaining higher market share in west/south along with employee attrition,' he said in a note. New entrant Birla Opus (Grasim) is likely to have garnered a 3-4% market share in the third quarter, said industry executives. Importantly, it's gaining traction with customers and has made gains in the distribution network, considered a key barrier to entry. Grasim's foray has forced incumbents to push harder on advertising and promotion besides incentives to dealers and cashbacks to painters. Birla has already stated that it's looking at Rs 10,000 crore revenue in three years. The sale of Akzo Nobel's decorative business in India and Sri Lanka will also likely boost competitive intensity. The acquirer--Indigo Paints and JSW Paints are in the running--should be able to leverage AkzoNobel's brand, expand product offerings and penetrate metro cities, backed by aggressive management teams, which could further impair industry economics. Asian Paints, which has a market share of 44% in decorative paints, is also the second largest in Asia and eighth globally. The company has an annual domestic decorative paint capacity of 1.85 million kilo litres, serving consumers in over 60 countries. It has the country's largest distribution network, with 74,129 dealers, supported by over 50,500 Colour World shade-mixing machines and over 430 Colour Ideas stores. 'We strongly believe that as a brand we need to take calibrated action to ensure that we tackle the competition in a more sustainable way,' Asian Paints CEO Amit Syngle said in his last investor call. The company largely operates in domestic decorative paints, with a presence in the domestic home improvement space through acquisitions in the kitchen (Sleek) and bathroom (Ess Ess) segments. Decorative and home décor contributed to 88% of revenue in FY24. It also has a smaller presence in industrial paints, which accounted for 3.1% of FY24 sales.
Economic Times
14-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Asian Paints shares in focus as Reliance eyes $1.3-billion exit
Asian Paints shares will be in focus on Wednesday after Reliance Industries revived plans to sell its 4.9% stake in the company, potentially exiting a 17-year-old investment. The move comes amid mounting margin pressures and rising competition in India's Rs 75,000-crore paints market, where several new players are challenging Asian Paints' dominance. ADVERTISEMENT Reliance has engaged Bank of America (BoFA) to manage the transaction through one or more block deals. However, offers so far have come at a 6–7% discount to the current market price. Over the past 24 hours, several other investment banks and brokers are said to have joined the race for buyers. At Tuesday's closing price of Rs 2,323, the 4.9% stake would fetch around Rs 11,141 crore ($1.31 billion), down from its 52-week high of Rs 3,394 hit on September 16 last year. Reliance had bought the stake for Rs 500 crore in January 2008, just before the global financial crisis. The stock has declined 19.3% in the past year, erasing around Rs 51,000 crore in market value. Asian Paints' market share has also dropped to 52% from 59% in FY25, according to Elara Securities. Including dividends, Reliance stands to make a 24-fold return on its investment at current market value. The company may still withdraw the sale if it does not receive bids within the desired price range, according to people involved in the observers noted that Reliance had explored a similar exit five years ago, just before launching India's largest rights issue and during efforts to deleverage its balance sheet following heavy telecom-led capex. However, the company dropped the plan and instead raised $25 billion through strategic investments in its digital and retail ventures by Facebook, Google, KKR, General Atlantic, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority—pegging Jio and Reliance Retail's valuations at over $100 billion by 2024. ADVERTISEMENT Since 2020, Reliance has invested around $50 billion into its retail and digital services businesses. An additional $9 billion has been earmarked for new energy initiatives, including solar modules, hydrogen electrolysers, and energy storage solutions.'It's been a non-core bet for them that has delivered very strong returns,' said a company executive. 'But the competitive landscape in the paint industry is shifting rapidly, and as the market leader, Asian Paints has taken the hardest hit.' ADVERTISEMENT Paint companies have reported muted revenue growth for the fourth consecutive quarter. Executives attributed this to subdued urban demand and an early Diwali. Rising competition is also driving up rebates, causing gross margins to shrink year-on-year despite lower raw material costs. According to Investec analyst Aditya Bhartia, Asian Paints' year-on-year revenue growth lagged behind rivals Berger Paints and Kansai Nerolac by 6 percentage points in the first nine months of FY25—an unusual reversal of past trends. ADVERTISEMENT 'This is likely due to peers penetrating urban areas and Grasim (Aditya Birla Group) gaining higher market share in the west and south, along with employee attrition,' he said in a entrant Birla Opus (Grasim) is estimated to have captured 3–4% market share in Q3. It has made significant inroads into distribution—considered a key entry barrier—and is gaining customer traction. Grasim aims to achieve Rs 10,000 crore in paint revenue over the next three years. Additionally, the sale of AkzoNobel's decorative paint business in India and Sri Lanka is expected to intensify competition. Indigo Paints and JSW Paints are contenders for the acquisition, and the winner is likely to benefit from leveraging AkzoNobel's brand, expanding product lines, and penetrating metro markets, backed by aggressive strategies that could further strain industry profitability. ADVERTISEMENT Asian Paints, which holds a 44% share in the domestic decorative paints market, is the second-largest paint company in Asia and the eighth globally. It has an annual domestic decorative paint capacity of 1.85 million kilolitres and serves consumers in over 60 countries. Its distribution network includes 74,129 dealers, over 50,500 Colour World shade-mixing machines, and 430+ Colour Ideas stores.'We strongly believe that as a brand, we need to take calibrated action to ensure we tackle competition in a more sustainable way,' said CEO Amit Syngle during the last investor call. Asian Paints primarily operates in the domestic decorative segment and has expanded into home improvement through acquisitions in the kitchen (Sleek) and bathroom (Ess Ess) spaces. Decorative and home décor accounted for 88% of FY24 revenue. It also has a smaller presence in industrial paints, contributing 3.1% of FY24 sales. Also Read: Stocks in news: HAL, Eicher Motors, Airtel, Tata Motors, Cipla (Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)
India.com
14-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries to sell its entire stake in this company after 17 years, the name is…
(File) Mukesh Ambani led Reliance Industries is reportedly going to sell its entire 4.9% stake in Asian Paints after holding the investment for 17 years. According to a report by The Economic Times , RIL is going divest from Asian Paints, a leading paint company. The decision is taken by the company after Asian Paints is facing margin pressures and huge competition from new players in the industry. RIL has engaged Bank of America (BoFA) to manage the transaction, which may happen through one or multiple block deals. Offers for the stake are being made at a 6–7% discount to Asian Paints' current market price, according to a media report. Investment banks and brokers who are trying to bring buyers for the stake, according to the ET report. At the current closing price of Rs 2,323 per share, Reliance Industries' 4.9% stake is valued at Rs 11,141 crore ($1.31 billion). Reliance had originally invested Rs 500 crore in Asian Paints in January 2008. If considered dividends received in these many years, the investment now has given around 24 times return. However, Asian Paints' performance lagged behind broader market indices in recent years. Over the last year, its shares fell by 19%, compared to an 11.5% rise in the BSE Sensex. Over two and three years, the stock has declined by 27% and 24%, respectively, while the Sensex has risen by 31% and 54% during the same periods. The company is under pressure as new entrants like Birla Opus (Grasim Industries) are giving huge competition and reducing its market share. According to Elara Securities, Asian Paints' market share dropped from 59% in FY2025 to 52%.
