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Informist, Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2026

 

--Dealers: Berger Paints officials communicated imminent price increase

--Dealers: Berger Paints to raise prices by 7-8% in coming few days

 

By Avishek Rakshit

 

KOLKATA – After raising prices of decorative paints 5% in the June quarter, Berger Paints (I) Ltd. may increase prices again by 7-8% in the coming few days as the company is faced with increasing cost pressures arising from the West Asia war, several dealers of the company told Informist.

 

"Berger Paints executives have communicated that price increase is imminent as the company is faced with high-cost pressures," Bimal Pain, owner of Sarada Paints, one of the company's dealers, said. "The increase that is going to happen shortly this time is around 8%."

 

In the June quarter, Berger Paints, the country's second-largest paints company, increased prices by 5% but the company still managed to report an over 8% on-year volume growth in its decorative paints business which usually accounts for over 70% of its revenues. It also posted its highest revenue growth from the decorative paints business in the last 12 quarters, reporting over 13% value growth. Berger Paints does not publicly provide revenue and profits from its decorative and industrial paints businesses as well as powder coatings and other businesses. At a company level, its revenue from operations increased around 12% on year to around INR 36 billion in the June quarter. 

 

Arun Maiti, another Berger Paints' dealer, who owns M/S Rainbow Paints in south Kolkata, said exterior emulsions saw good traction despite price hikes and premium interior emulsions continued to sell well. 

 

Maiti said that the price hike taken by Berger in the June quarter was lower than its nearest competitor, Birla Opus, owned by Grasim Industries Ltd. which effected an 8-10% price hike in that quarter, depending on the product. Industry leader, Asian Paints Ltd., also raised prices by around 7% in a staggered manner throughout April, May, and June, Maiti said.

 

In the June quarter, Berger Paints' raw material costs, which comprise around 61% of its total production costs, increased sharply by around 29% on year to over INR 19 billion. Being a paints company, Berger Paints is highly dependent on crude derivatives and solvents, and titanium-dioxide for manufacturing paints. Considering the recent price rise in crude oil, its raw material cost could have risen further, dealers said. 

 

Tuesday, oil prices inched up with Brent crude crossing $90 a barrel as the West Asia war does not seem to near any end with Iran signalling an offensive approach after the US and Israel jointly invaded the country in late-February. 

 

Earlier this month, in its post-earnings call with sector analysts, Berger Paints' Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Abhijit Roy said the company aimed to sustain "double-digit revenue growth" and the benefits of price increases on the company's top line is expected to show up September quarter onwards. Pent-up festival demand and distribution expansion are also expected to aid the revenue in the current financial year, he said. 

 

At 1135 IST, shares of Berger Paints traded 1.3% lower at INR 534.35 on the National Stock Exchange. End

 

IST, or Indian Standard Time, is five-and-a-half hours ahead of GMT

 

Edited by Akul Nishant Akhoury

 

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