KATHMANDU:  Nippon Paint, Asia’s leading paint manufacturer in terms of revenue, has announced plans to introduce its paint for the Nepal automotive aftermarket.

Speaking at the launch event, the company’s Business Head for Group Automotive Refinishes and President for India operations Mr. Sharad Malhotra said that “Nippon Paint will be introducing the latest paint technologies from Japan to Nepal, in the field of automotive refinishing. In addition to coatings, we will be introducing other product lines such as car care and wood finishes in the next few months. Our objective is to be a long term player in Nepal and we will be deepening our association with the industry and customers in Nepal in a strong and sure manner”.

Mr. LK Goh, the Vice President of the India operations said that “This is the best possible news for car owners in Nepal as they will be able to access the high tech car paints at their doorstep, at a reasonable cost. Further, there are plans to impart training and facilitate the best painters from Nepal to participate in Regional and World Skills Competitions, at par with their counterparts in other countries.”

With this launch, Nippon Paint will introduce global innovations and best-in-class quality products in Nepal. Nippon Paint targets to garner at least 20% of the market share by year-end by being available across 600 body and paint shops. There are also plans to onboard 50 new dealers, with at least 10 focusing on Nippon’s core Superior color mixing system by the year-end.

Mr. Diwakar Mehrotra, Business Director responsible for the Nepal market said that “Nepal presents a strong potential for growth with its strong customer base and scores of body shops and garages. We will be tying up with relevant stakeholders, including industry associations, to ensure the creation of a strong and vibrant ecosystem for the automobile industry in Nepal.”

Nippon Paint’s automotive products will be available in the Kathmandu Valley, including regions of Lalitpur and Bhaktpur through its master importer Ruchi Trading. Nippon Paint plans to expand to Pokhara, Narayanghat, Butwal, Biratnagar, Itahari and other regions through the second half of the year. For now, Automotive Refinishing Paints & Ancillaries under the Superior and N-Power brand, non-paint consumables and solutions under the N-Force brand and 1K and Aerosol products under the Pylac brand will be available for immediate sale and use.

Nippon Paint India is a leading producer of high-quality paints and coatings for automotive refinish, industrial and decorative sectors. Nippon Paint India is part of the Nipsea Group which, together with Nippon Paint of Japan, forms the largest coatings group in the Asia Pacific and the 4th largest in the world in terms of revenue.

Nippon Paint provides coating solutions for almost all substrates and like most Japanese organizations derives its core values from the principles of Innovate, Excel, and Delight. Care for nature has been the guiding philosophy at Nippon Paint in areas related to product development, the use of innovative technology and roll out of cutting-edge coating solutions.