The report says that the complaint, which is still confidential, alleges that Asian Paints warned retailers not to stock Birla products
Accusing the company of misusing its market dominance, Aditya Birla Group’s new paint business, Birla Opus, has filed an antitrust complaint against Asian Paints, Reuters reported. The case is currently being reviewed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI).
Asian Paints is India’s largest paint brand, holding a 52 per cent market share. However, its lead has started to shrink since Birla Opus entered the market in February 2024. Within a year, Birla Opus has captured almost 7 per cent market share, according to data from Elara Capital.
The complaint, which is still confidential, alleges that Asian Paints warned retailers not to stock Birla products and threatened to cut credit or supply support if they did. It also claims that dealers were discouraged from promoting Birla Opus through hoardings or shelf placement.
So far, the CCI has not confirmed if it will launch a formal investigation. Both Asian Paints and Birla Opus have not publicly responded to the allegations.
However, Asian Paints reportedly sent a confidential letter to the CCI, arguing that it should be allowed to respond fairly before any decision is made. It added,
“The rapid and substantial growth of Birla Opus demonstrated the absence of any significant barriers to entry or anti-competitive conduct by existing players.”
Birla Opus launched with a USD 1.2 billion investment and now has five manufacturing plants. Asian Paints, by comparison, posted revenues of Rs 294 billion (USD 3.43 billion) in FY 2024–25 and operates 26 factories globally.
This is not the first time Asian Paints has faced scrutiny. In 2022, a similar complaint by JSW Paints was dismissed by the CCI, which said it found no violation of competition law.
If accepted, this new case could spark a major clash between two of India’s biggest names in the fast-growing USD 9.5 billion paint industry. (With Reuters Inputs)
