'Berger to guard market share even if profit hurt'

CEO Roy admits the sector had never seen a disruptor like Birla Opus

- Dipali Banka & Abhishek Law

Eighteen months after Birla Opus stormed into the paints market, Berger Paints India Ltd is bracing for a full-blown colour war.

It will prioritise market share over profitability if competitive pressures intensify, said Abhijit Roy, managing director and chief executive officer, in an interview with Mint.

"Ideally, we would love to grow both profit and sales," Roy said. "But if push comes to shove, we will prefer to have our market share protected even if a little bit of profit dilution happens. Once your market share is protected, profits can always come back sooner or later," he said, adding that it's not something that the paint maker is worried about.

Roy, who has led Berger for 13 years, admitted the industry has never seen a disruptor like Birla Opus, which has shaken up what was once a steady business. "They've (Birla Opus) woken everyone up, shaken everyone upand everyone is running faster. It's a good thing to have happened to the industry."