Berger Paints India Ltd is the second largest paint company in India. The company is engaged in manufacturing and selling of paints, varnishes and enamels for various applications.They are offering their customers a variety of innovative painting solutions, decorative or industrial. The company is headquartered in Calcutta and services the market through a distribution network comprising of nearly 184 stock stations and more than 60,000 dealers. It operate manufacturing plants in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Pondicherry, Goa, and Jammu & Kashmir. It has an international presence in 4 countries viz. Nepal, Bangladesh, Poland and Russia. Presently U.K. Paints (India) Private Limited is the Ultimate Holding Company (50.09%) of Berger Paints India.
The Company has Technical License Agreements with DuPont Performance Coatings in the area of automotive coatings, Nippon Paint Co Ltd for new generation of automotive coatings, Orica Australia Pty Ltd In the area of protective coatings, TIGERWERK Lack-u.Farbenfabrik GmbH & C. KG, Austria for specialized powder coatings and Nippon Bee Chemical Co Ltd for coating on plastic auto parts and mobile phones.
The company was incorporated on December 17, 1923 as Hadfield's (India) Ltd in Kolkata. In December 12, 1947, British Paints Holdings acquired the company and the name was changed into British Paints India Ltd. In the year 1965, British Paints (Holdings) Limited, UK was acquired by Celanese Corporation, USA. As a result, the controlling interest of the Company passed on to CELEURO NV, Holland. In the year 1969, Celanese Corporation sold their interest in the Indian company to Berger, Jenson Nicholson Limited, UK. In December 1983, the company name was changed to Berger Paints India Ltd.
From 1983 till date, the company has solely used and developed the name and trademark of Berger and all their other variants in India. The company launched Color Bank tinting system through which the consumer can select form a range of over 5000 colors and which are then made available in minutes. In the year 1997, a new paint manufacturing unit at Pondicherry was commissioned. In the year 1999, Rajdoot Paints Ltd was merged with the company.
In the year 2000, the company acquired 100% share in Jenson & Nicholoson Nepal Pvt Ltd which was wholly owned subsidiary of Jenson & Nicholson India Ltd and renamed Berger Jenson & Nicholson, Nepal. During the year 2001-02, the Motors & Industrial paints business of ICI India was acquired through their subsidiary, Berger Auto & Industrial Coatings Limited. During the year 2003-04, a new unit in Jammu started commercial production. Also, the company entered into a joint venture with Principal Financial Group USA, Punjab National Bank and Vijaya Bank for Pension Fund and Insurance Business.
Berger Auto & Industrial Coatings Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary company amalgamated with the company with effect from April 1, 2004 and operates as BAICL Division of the company. The company invested in Berger Cyprus, a company incorporated in Cyprus on February 3, 2005 for the purpose of setting up a paint manufacturing facility in Russia. During the year 2005-06, the company started the commercial production at their new 2400 MTPA powder coating plant in Jammu.
In April 2007, the Jammu Resin plant of the Company with a capacity of 9,000 MTPA commenced production. The Company has entered into a Joint Venture Agreement with Nippon Bee Chemical Co Ltd, Japan for the purpose of formation of a company for manufacture and sale of coatings for plastic substrates used in automobiles and parts thereof in India. Berger Paints Overseas Ltd in Russia has commenced commercial production in September 2007 at their modern plant in the Republic of Adygeya, with alkyd based and water based paints.
The company expanded the capacity in the Goa solvent based paint to 18000 KL per annum. The company is in the process of setting up an automobile paint manufacturing plant with a combined capacity of 24000 MTPA at Jejuri Industrial Estate in Pune. The Company has started preliminary work for expansion of water based paint and resin manufacturing capacity in their existing plant at Rishra in West Bengal and installation of a resin manufacturing plant in Goa.
In August 2008, the company acquired Bolix SA (Bolix), a leading provider of External Insulation Finishing Systems (EIFS) in Poland, from Advent International, a global private equity group.
On 7 August 2009, Berger Paints India announced the Board of Directors of the company has decided to install a water based paint plant with a capacity of about 1 lakh tonnes per annum in South India.In 2009, British Paints was re-introduced in India with its globally recognized corporate brand, as a SBU of Berger Paints India Limited, with head quarters in New Delhi. It now operates in the Retail, Industrial & Projects verticals.
On 11 March 2013, Berger Paints India announced that it has agreed to acquire the architectural operations of Sherwin Williams Paints India Private Limited, for an undisclosed sum, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Brushworks Paints Ltd. The transaction will significantly increase Berger Paints' presence in key markets and it builds on the company's strategy of growing its architectural paints business throughout India.
On 10 April 2013, Citland Commercial Credits Ltd, Wang Investments And Finance Pvt. Ltd, Bigg Investments And Finance Pvt. Ltd, Ms. Vinu Dhingra and Mr. Kuldip Singh Dhingra, forming a part of the Promoter group, announced Offer for Sale of an aggregate 18.72 lakh equity shares constituting 0.54% of the equity share capital of the company.On 7 November 2013, Berger Paints India announced that the company commenced trial production at its Hindupur plant in Andhra Pradesh during the quarter ended 30 September 2013.
On 31 January 2014, the company inaugurated its new paint manufacturing facility at Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh. The factory has an initial capacity of 80,000 tonnes per annum. In the final phase, the factory will have a capacity of 3.2 lakh tonnes per annum. Additionally, there will be a plant for the manufacture of 1 lakh KL of emulsion, a key raw material, for which a provision already exits.
On 23 September 2014, Berger Paints India announced commencement of commercial production at the Hindupur factory in Andhra Pradesh.The Board of Directors of Berger Paints India at its meeting held on 4 November 2014 approved the sub-division of the company's equity shares of nominal value of Rs 2 each into Equity Shares of nominal value of Re 1 each.
On 5 May 2015, Berger Paints India announced commencement of commercial production at the company's powder coating plant at Maharashtra. Earlier, on 13 October 2014, the company announced commencement of trail production at this unit. On 3 August 2015, Berger Paints India announced that the company has decided to install two factories in Assam. One of them will be a putty and distemper manufacturing facility to be put up by British Paints Division of the company and the other will be a water and solvent based paint mixing plant by Berger Division.
On 28 April 2016, Berger Paints India announced it has entered into a business transfer agreement with BNB Coatings India Private Limited (BNB) for transfer of its paints division relating to 4 wheeler passenger cars and SUV, 3 wheeler and related ancillaries to BNB on a slump sale basis at a consideration of Rs 90 crore, payable in cash. BNB is a joint venture company where Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Co., Limited Japan holds 51% stake and Berger Paints India holds 49% stake.
The Board of Directors of Berger Paints India at its meeting held on 30 May 2016 recommended issue of Bonus Shares in the proportion of 2 Bonus Shares for every existing 5 shares held on record date to be decided for this purpose.
On 2 September 2016, Berger Paints India announced its decision to set up a mixing plant with a maximum capacity of 2,400 KL per annum near the existing factory of the company's subsidiary, Beepee Coatings Private Limited, at Vallabh Vidhyanagar, Gujarat for convenience of supply to various customers.
On 10 February 2017, Berger Paints India announced that it has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Promat International Limited NV of Belgium for cooperation in the field of passive fire protection and high performance insulation coatings in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. The MoU envisages production, distribution and supply of specialised fire resistant coatings which may range from lightweight and thin films to cement based wet mix products suitable for steel and concrete, offering various degrees of efficiency in fire resistance. Promat International is a USD 3 billion company headquartered in Belgium.
On 27 March 2017, Berger Paints India announcement the commencement of commercial production of its Automotive and General Industrial paints production plant having a capacity of 4,800 KL/MT per annum at Jejuri near Pune in Maharashtra. This facility will strengthen the company's supply capabilities in respect of Automotive and General Industrial paints and the capacity will be enhanced to 24,000 KL/MT per annum in phases.
The British Paints Division of Berger Paints India Limited commenced commercial production of its paint and putty plant at Nalbari, Assam on 29 March 2017. The plant has a capacity of 6,600 KL/MT per annum of solvent and water based paints and 7,200 MT per annum of putty and distemper. On 30 March 2017, Berger Paints India announced the commencement of commercial production of its integrated paint and putty plant at Naltali, Nagaon, Assam. The plant has an annual capacity of 48,000 KL/MT per annum of water based paints, 24,000 KL of solvent based paints, 14,000 MT of Resin and 24,000 MT of wall putty.
On 11 April 2017, Berger Paints India and Chugoku Marine Paints, Ltd. (CMP) of Japan entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for cooperation and collaboration in the field of marine and related industrial paints in India. The MOU envisages joint efforts in marketing, supplying, purchasing marine related industrial paints. Subsequently, the parties have a view of establishing a joint venture company as their final objective. Since its establishment in 1917, CMP has uniquely developed marine paints as a core product and is one of the global leaders in the area.
The Board of Directors of Berger Paints India at its meeting held on 14 April 2017 approved the Scheme of Amalgamation of BJN Paints India Limited (the Transferor Company), a wholly owned subsidiary of Beepee Coatings Private Limited (a wholly owned subsidiary of Berger Paints India) with Berger Paints India with effect from 1 April 2017.
NBCC Ltd and Bolix, S.A. Poland, a wholly owned subsidiary of Berger Paints India Limited, signed a Memorandum of Business Exploration on 17 April 2017 in furtherance of a joint initiative to bring to India External Thermal Insulation and Composite Systems (ETICS), a proven solution for improving energy performance of temperature controlled buildings. ETICS is a very cost effective and efficient solution and much used in Europe. NBCC Ltd and Bolix will jointly promote, develop and facilitate the use of ETICS solutions in building projects in India with the principle objective of reducing significantly the energy requirements for cooling or heating in these buildings which is expected to result in gains in environmental sustainability.
The Board of Directors of Berger Paints India at its meeting held on 30 May 2017 approved acquisition of 100% of the paid-up equity share capital of Saboo Coatings Private Limited (SCPL) from its existing shareholders at a consideration of Rs 81.77 crore, subject to closing adjustments for variations in net debt and net working capital. SCPL is engaged in carrying out the business of manufacturing specialty liquid coatings classified as Industrial Coatings' by the paint industry in the segments of agriculture and construction equipment, automotive, fans, electronics, general industrial, elevators, handicraft and home furnishing, hardware and those used by industrial dealers for substrates - metal, plastic, FRP and glass in India. The gross turnover of SCPL (including other income) in the year 2016-17 was Rs 89.43 crore. At the meeting, the Board also approved purchase of 1.03 crore equity shares of Saboo Hesse Wood Coatings Private Limited (SHWCPL), representing 51% of the paid-up equity share capital of SHWCPL for a total consideration of Rs 1.50 crore. The balance 49% is held by Hesse Shares GmbH of Germany. The business and expertise of SHWCPL can gainfully supplement the company's existing wood coatings business, where the two entities can combine their strength and collaborate in the areas of manufacturing, selling, distribution, procurement, technology, etc., resulting in mutual benefit of both the companies.
During the FY2018, the Company's paint division ('the Business') relating to 4 wheeler passenger cars and SUVs, 3 Wheelers and related ancillaries was transferred to Berger Nippon Paint Automotive Coatings Private Limited or BNPAC (Formerly known as BNB Coatings India Private Limited), an existing joint venture between Berger Paints India Limited and Nippon Paints Automotive Coatings Co. Ltd., Japan after the close of business hours of 30th June, 2016 on a slump sale basis at a consideration of Rs 90 crore, paid in cash. By virtue of being a joint venture where Berger Paints India Limited holds 49% of the paid up share capital, BNPAC may be deemed to be a related party and the transaction was done at an Arm's length basis.
On 23 April 2018, Berger Paints India announced that the Board of Directors of the company has approved installation of an integrated paint plant with water and solvent based decorative, industrial and protective coatings, resin, putty, emulsion and construction chemical manufacturing capabilities at an investment of about Rs 200 crore at Sandila Industrial Area in Uttar Pradesh. Subject to all required consents and approvals, the project is likely to be completed by the end of the financial year 2019-20.
As on 31 March 2019,the company had 7 subsidiaries and 2 associate companies.
During the FY2020, the Company had acquired 1,88,63,180 equity shares of STP Ltd. representing 95.53% of the paid up equity share capital of a face value of Rs 10/- each, at a consideration of Rs 125.20 crore by virtue of a share purchase agreement entered into between the Company and STP Ltd.
Most of these shares were acquired after the close of business hours on 31st October, 2019. The entire process of share purchase was completed in the month of November, 2019. The balance 4.47% of share capital remains with existing shareholders. STP Ltd. is thus a subsidiary of the Company. STP Ltd. is into the business of manufacturing and supplying construction chemicals, flooring compounds, bitumen and coal tar based products, sealants and adhesives, protective and anti-corrosive coatings, etc. These are specially formulated and have a strong brand image. STP Ltd. has six manufacturing units located in Chennai (Tamil Nadu), Goa, Jamshedpur (Jharkhand), Kosi in Mathura (Uttar Pradesh), Hooghly (West Bengal) and Panoli (Gujarat). It has two R&D centers and offices and warehouses located all over India.
As on 31 March 2020,the company had 8 subsidiaries and 2 associate companies under its roof.
The Puducherry plant was renovated and the renovated facilities were commissioned in October 2020. There were various other initiatives across the Company including setting up of admixture manufacturing facilities at Rishra, Jejuri and Hindupur, installation of roof top solar power plants at various factories, facilities for reduction of specific power consumption, further extension of bio-briquette fired thermic fluid heater at plants, etc.
The company bagged prestigious Manufacturing Supply Chain Excellence Award, 2020 in Mumbai. Berger's VVN plant was awarded with the prestigious CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020. Also received the prestigious Manufacturing Supply Chain Excellence Award, 2020 in Mumbai. Berger's VVN plant has won the 7th Exceed Environment Gold Award, 2020 from The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF).
The operations of the Company were impacted in the month of March 2020 due to temporary shutdown of all manufacturing units and depots on account of the lockdown announced by the Government of India because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has resumed its operations in a phased manner from the month of May 2020.
During the year 2021, the Company enhanced the automotive, industrial, protective coatings and resin capacity of its Jejuri plant. It acquired a piece of land measuring 22 acres at Panagarh, West Bengal from the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation Limited (WBIDC) for setting-up of another manufacturing facility in West Bengal focused on construction chemicals, putty, tile adhesives etc.
In FY'21, the Company launched and promoted Anti-Microbial Powder Coatings in Hospital Furniture Segment, in solid as well as metallic colours. It launched Polyester Range of durable powders for Agricultural Equipment and Road Construction Equipment Industries with high chemical & mechanical resistance. It introduced new range of wrinkle finish powder for sports equipment. It launched DURABERG, a new brand, mainly for architectural segment which is one of the fastest growing segments in India.
During the year 2021, wide range of accessories ranging from paint brushes, masking tape, wet and dry sheets for wall and wood sanding were launched. The Company made inroads in the Helmet, Measuring Tape, Toto/e-Rickshaw combines with its innovative range of products.
During the year 2022, the Company completed brownfield expansions in water-based paint at Hindupur, Goa, Jammu, Rishra and for solvent based paint in Jejuri and Hindupur. At Naltali unit, a raw material and finished goods warehouse has been constructed in sync with increased production volumes. Rooftop solar power plants have been installed in Hindupur, Jejuri, Rishra, Naltali, VVN, Goa, Pondicherry and Sandila. The Company commissioned bio-briquette fire thermic fluid heaters in almost all its resin plants. LED lights along with automation in lighting system have been installed in order to save energy as well.
During the year 2023, in Luxury Emulsion Interior Category, Berger introduced Silk Glamor Matt' and Silk Glamor Dazzle'. In the Premium Interior Category, it launched Rangoli Rich Matt containing best in class smooth matte emulsion with assured two coats hiding. It launched LUXOL PU ENAMEL'. Luxol PU Enamel, a superior quality Polyurethane Resin. Berger Masking Film was introduced to protect surfaces against paint job or wood-work activities.
During the year 2022-23, the Company commissioned the operations of fully automated, manufacturing facility at Sandila Plant, Uttar Pradesh on 6th February, 2023. New Rooftop Solar Power Plants also commissioned at Sandila, Puducherry and Jammu factories. The process of making rooftop solar power plant capacities were taken up at Puducherry Plant. The Company commissioned brown field expansions at its Rishra and Goa Plant.