Shalimar Paints: Delivering High-Quality Paint & Coating Solutions
With a remarkable 120-year legacy, how has Shalimar Paints contributed to the development and enhancement of iconic and mega structures in India across infrastructure, residential, commercial and industrial sectors?
Shalimar Paints has a rich legacy of 120 years of transforming the face of India with its diverse offerings. We started in the early 90s with a vision to meet the mounting demand for quality and innovative paints. Leveraging our advanced R&D capabilities, we set up a team of highly skilled professionals with a commitment to delivering superior paint and coating solutions. Today, we have established the Shalimar Paints as a leading paint company in India.
Shalimar Paints has significantly contributed to the infrastructural development of modern India. We have beautified some of India's iconic structures that will be remembered for generations to come. Some of the notable projects are the Howrah Bridge, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Vidyasagar Setu, Salt Lake Stadium, and most recently, the Chenab Rail Bridge. We take pride in our legacy and remain committed to offering advanced paint and coating solutions that breathe new life into buildings.
What steps is Shalimar Paints taking to ensure environmental sustainability in its products and manufacturing processes? What innovative products have been introduced towards this?
At Shalimar Paints, we are committed to building a better world and are therefore adopting innovative practices that align with conservation efforts and ecological sustainability.
We have introduced a series of eco-friendly products and solutions, including the newly launched HERO 5 IN 1 Interior Emulsion, which has zero VOC and anti-fungal properties. These products minimize fumes, enhance indoor air quality, and help maintain cooler indoor temperatures.
Our in-house R&D team is continuously bringing more innovative and sustainable solutions for the consumers. Plus, BIS certification is now being pursued for all our product ranges.
How does customer feedback influence your product development and service offerings?
Customer feedback is invaluable in helping us understand their concerns, needs, and evolving preferences. We use multiple channels to gather consumer insights and monitor market trends. Social media is a powerful tool for engaging and connecting with our broad customer base. We also leverage social listening tools to track and analyze consumer conversations online. This helps us capture real-time feedback and identify emerging trends, enabling us to respond proactively.
We also conduct consumer research surveys and dipstick study with our channel partners and contractors to understand product gaps and consumer requirements, to come up with new product concepts and ideas and create products that satisfy the needs of customers.
To give an example, we identified a growing demand for eco-friendly paint options and launched our latest HERO Emulsion range, which is loaded with advanced features and is available at attractive prices. By staying attuned to our customers’ voices, we continue to refine our offerings and maintain our position as a trusted brand in the market.
What trends are currently shaping the paint industry?
The paint industry keeps evolving as per the change in preferences of the consumers, influenced by shifting cultural and environmental priorities. A trend that is gaining momentum at present is the demand for toxin-free, odor-free, and VOC-free products; this is driving innovation in the industry. Another trend is the rising demand for versatile, cost-effective products in the decorative sector.
How is Shalimar Paints leveraging digital transformation to enhance its customer experience and reach?
Digital transformation is pivotal in enhancing customer experience and expanding our reach. By leveraging advanced technology, we have improved our operations to facilitate informed product choices and engage a broad audience through our website and social media channels, even in remote areas. We utilize social listening tools to monitor and analyze online conversations to understand customer needs in real-time. We're also developing a visualizer app for exploring various shades, enabling us to respond quickly, and to improve our products and services.
What gives Shalimar Paints a competitive edge in the marketplace?
With 120 years of experience in the industry, a robust R&D team, skilled professionals, and technology-first approach, we have established our brand strongly in the market. No doubt, the market is highly competitive, with both established and new companies vying for a larger pie; however, we see competition as a catalyst for continuous improvement and innovation.
We keep upgrading with technically advanced products to serve the needs of the modern-day consumer, who is very discerning now and is also looking to enhance his lifestyle with even more superior quality products and services. Our differentiated products and attractive prices appeal to consumers. On the distribution front, we have introduced a wholesale model to service upcoming and new markets, and increase our brand presence.
How is Shalimar Paints addressing the challenge of catering to the cost-conscious Indian consumer?
We serve a vast consumer base belonging to different economic backgrounds. Budget constraints can be an issue, but that should not prevent consumers from painting their houses in their choice of color. With this in mind, we offer an extensive palette of 1000+ colors even in lower-budget categories with myriad features. Our upcoming color visualization tool will allow customers to preview different color options. And through our creative campaigns and use of new technology, we assist them in choosing the right shade and texture for their home.
What are Shalimar Paints' plans for market expansion?
For now, we are focusing on Tier II and Tier III cities of India. About 65% of the substrates and walls in rural areas are yet to be painted and there is a continuous rising demand for real estate in Tier II cities, presenting a huge opportunity for us to expand our consumer base. We are coming up with tailor-made products at attractive prices for rural and semi-urban customers. Our strategy is to provide affordable, yet premium feature loaded products to consumers in these regions to enhance, and to create awareness and engagement with the trade.
How do you foresee the company evolving in the next five to ten years?
Our vision is to provide consumers with innovative, feature-laden products. To stay strong on our promise of quality and to align with our consumer-centric approach, we are upgrading our infrastructure, investing in cutting-edge research and development facilities, and revolutionizing our product offerings to meet the evolving needs of consumers.
As the fastest-growing paint company in India, our rapid expansion highlights our success and momentum. At our current pace of growth and innovation, we expect to be amongst the top five paint brands in India within the next five years. This ambitious target underscores our commitment to achieve industry leadership.