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(From right) Mr Subir Bose, Managing Director, Berger Paints India Ltd, Mr Abhijit Roy, Sr. General Manager-Marketing, and Vice-President-Retail Sales and Marketing, Mr P. K. Sengupta, at the launch of premium range of decorative paints `Lewis Berger' in the Capital on Wednesday. - Ramesh Sharm

New Delhi , Sept. 28

GEARING up for the festive season, paints major Berger Paints India Ltd (BPIL) has effected a re-branding exercise with a new logo, aiming to tap the top end of the Rs 8,000-crore paints market in India.

The Kolkata-based company has also said it expected its Russian plant to be commissioned in the middle ofnext year.

The plant would have an initial capacity of 6,000 tonnes per annum. It added that it was open to acquiring firms provided the right fit is found.

``Berger Paints has been mostly associated as a value for money brand. But with disposable income levels of Indians going up and a lot of discerning consumers ready to spend on home décor, we felt the need to re-brand our product to tap the top end of the paints market,'' BPIL Managing Director, Mr Subir Bose, said here.

As a part of the re-branding exercise, about 14 sub-brands of the company would be merged into eight sub-brands under the new range `Lewis Berger', company Senior General Manager Marketing, Mr Abhijit Roy, said.

The Lewis Berger range will have brands such as Rangoli, Weather Coat, Silk, Walmasta, Luxol, Bison, Woodkeeper and Tuff placed at the top end, Mr Roy added.

The company has about 19 per cent share in the domestic market with a total turnover of Rs 915 crore, Mr Bose said adding it was expecting to touch a sales turnover of Rs 1,050 crore this fiscal.

Mr Bose said the top-end paints market contributed about 10-20 per cent of the total market in India and has a huge potential for growth.

On the Russian plant, Mr Bose said the company has completed the land acquisition process and has earmarked an investment of $5 million.

``The total capacity of the Russian plant will be about 6,000 tonnes per annum and is likely to be commissioned by June-July next year,'' Mr Bose said.

He said the company was likely to utilise the Russian plant to cater to the markets of CIS countries in the future. As of now, the company has been exporting its products from India to cater to the Russian market. ``Once the plant is commissioned we would stop exporting from India,'' he said.

Currently, the company's exports contribute about Rs 5 crore annually to the total sales, he added.

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