Birla Opus Paints fortifies experiential retail to offset late entrance in paints industry

In of the latest entrants in the paints industry, Birla Opus Paints, a part of Grasim Industries under the Aditya Birla Group, continues its aggressive retail expansion with the launch of two new Birla Opus Paint Studios – Company Owned and Company Operated (COCO) stores – in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. Following the successful openings in Gurugram and Lucknow, this move underscores the brand’s commitment to redefining the paint and décor industry through innovation, premium offerings, and an immersive customer experience. As part of its strategic growth plan, Birla Opus Paints is set to further strengthen its retail presence with experience centres in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Surat in the coming months.

In an exclusive interaction with Adgully, Rakshit Hargave, CEO, Birla Opus Paints, delves into the brand’s ambitious plans, the role of technology in transforming the paint retail landscape, and how experiential retail is shaping consumer preferences. He also discusses the company’s approach to sustainability, the growing premiumization trend in the industry, Birla Opus Paints’ strategies to differentiate itself in a competitive market, and more.

Birla Opus is rapidly expanding its paint studios. With the launch of the second store earlier today, let’s talk about that. Could you brief us on the vision behind this expansion and how you see these studios reshaping the consumer experience?

Our retail experience is built on three key platforms. First, we have a large network of dealers across India. Second, we have franchise stores where our dealers have opened exclusive outlets modeled on Birla Opus’ design, showcasing the entire product range and offering expert consultation. Lastly, we have 11 company-owned and operated stores, such as the one in Worli, Mumbai, which we inaugurated recently.

These 11 stores are strategically located in Mumbai (two stores), NCR (two stores), Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Surat, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Bangalore. The objective of these stores is to serve as hubs of expertise.

Unlike the traditional process where consumers rely on contractors or designers who present them with shade cards at home, our stores allow customers to explore a comprehensive range of products. They can experience water-based paints, enamel paints, designer finishes, wallpapers, Italian and standard wood finishes, as well as professional-grade coatings. This hands-on approach enables consumers to make informed decisions.

For instance, our tinting machines can generate any preferred shade, and customers can see how colours appear under different lighting conditions – tube light, mixed light, or yellow light. This ensures that the final choice aligns with their home’s lighting.

The purpose of these stores is to make the painting process seamless, exciting, and informative. They will also serve as resource centers for architects and designers, allowing them to bring clients for an interactive decision-making experience.

With the rise of experiential retail, you’ve already touched upon the enhanced consumer journey. But how does the Paint Studio compare to traditional stores? Additionally, are there any technological innovations being incorporated to enhance the consumer experience?

Traditional paint dealers operate over-the-counter shops, where products are stacked behind the counter. Customers typically rely on their contractors, who provide them with a list of shades and products to purchase. This conventional process lacks interactivity and limits the consumer’s ability to explore options.

Our retail stores, on the other hand, bridge this gap by offering an immersive and informative experience. Customers can visit our stores with their families, architects, or designers to get expert guidance.

From a technology standpoint, we have introduced multiple innovations:

3D Visualization: Customers can upload their home’s layout and digitally experiment with different paint shades in a 3D-rendered model, helping them visualize the final look.

Shade Matching Technology: If a customer has a specific shade they can’t find on a shade card, they can bring a swatch or sample, and our paint reader will generate an exact match.

Lighting Simulation: Customers can test shades under different lighting conditions to ensure accuracy before making a purchase.

These digital tools make the decision-making process seamless, ensuring that customers leave our stores confident in their choices.

Birla Opus Paints made a strong debut earlier this year. How has the response been so far from both consumers and trade partners?

The response has been overwhelmingly positive. For any new paint brand, the first stakeholders to evaluate quality are dealers and contractors. Our dealers appreciate our efficient supply chain, with over 140 depots across India, ensuring stock replenishment within four to six hours.

Painters and contractors have also embraced our products. During our initial sampling phase, they recognized the superior quality, better sheen, enhanced coverage, and overall profitability on projects.

This strong acceptance among trade partners facilitated consumer adoption. While our marketing efforts generated awareness and demand, contractor recommendations played a crucial role in driving conversions. Since the paint industry relies on a three-tier ecosystem – consumers, dealers, and painters/ contractors – we are pleased that all three segments have responded positively.

Could you share more about Birla Opus’ retail expansion roadmap? What markets are you prioritizing next?

Our company-owned stores are already present in 11 cities. However, our franchise stores are rapidly expanding across India. Currently, we have approximately 450 franchise outlets, with plans to expand further.

We are targeting a pan-India presence, covering metros, non-metros, Tier 2 cities, and even smaller towns with populations of 100,000 and above. We believe that the demand for high-quality paints and expert consultation is not limited to large cities. In fact, smaller cities often have bigger homes, and homeowners there are equally, if not more, invested in home aesthetics.

By expanding our dealer network and retail footprint, we aim to make Birla Opus accessible to consumers across all city tiers.

Your recent IPL campaign generated significant buzz. Could you share insights into its genesis and objectives?

When we planned our IPL association, we wanted to create a strong connection between the brand and the event. This led to the concept of the Indian Color League – a property that seamlessly integrates Birla Opus with IPL.

In IPL, teams compete, each with distinct jerseys and colours. Our idea was to bring a fun, engaging twist by having two competing teams merge their jersey colours to create a new Birla Opus shade. This shade then became the official “Shade of the Match”.

We also created content featuring young IPL players engaging in friendly banter before revealing the final blended shade. As IPL progresses, viewers will see many such colour combinations emerge.

By aligning the core properties of Birla Opus with IPL’s vibrant energy, we strengthened consumer engagement and recall.

Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna have become synonymous with Birla Opus. What led to their selection as brand ambassadors, and how do they align with your brand vision?

Both Vicky and Rashmika are at the peak of their careers. They represent a blend of talent, youthfulness, and relatability – values that resonate with Birla Opus’ brand philosophy.

Since we are a new entrant in the market, we wanted faces who had not been previously associated with paint brands. Their dynamic presence has helped us create a strong brand identity.

The response has been phenomenal. Our digital and social media platforms have been flooded with positive feedback, reaffirming our choice. Their portrayal in our four TV commercials has been widely appreciated, further cementing their connection with the brand.

Are there any upcoming product innovations or new categories that Birla Opus Paints plans to introduce?

There are exciting developments in the pipeline, but I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise!

We are continuously working on new product launches and innovative communication strategies. Stay tuned – you will see notable additions to our portfolio soon.

Could you share insights into Birla Opus’ overall marketing budget?

While I can’t disclose exact figures, our marketing investment is strategically distributed across traditional and digital platforms. We are heavily invested in consumer engagement, brand awareness campaigns, and retail activation.

We believe in a holistic approach – balancing mass media campaigns, on-ground activations, and digital innovations to maximize impact.

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