Asian Paints - painting the world [1]
Monday, March 20, 2000 - 11:00. Updated on Tuesday, January 26, 2016 - 12:17.
From Matangi Tonga Magazine Vol. 15, no. 1, March 2000.
Asian Paints expected a growth of 20 per cent in its world-wide sales this year, said Jalaj Dani, the Vice President-International and Program Office of Asian Paints India Ltd., India, who visited Tonga for the first time between March 14-16.
Accompanying Jalaj was Pramesh Khanna, the Director of the Asian Paints South Pacific Operations, who is based in Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand.
Pramesh said they were happy with the Tongan operation, where they have claimed 65 per cent of the paint market, and they have gradually increased their exports to Western Samoa, American Samoa and to the Cook Islands.
Jalaj said that outside of India, Asian Paints had nine manufacturing units and were selling to 25 countries. “We took over the second largest paint manufacturer in Sri Lanka in October, then in January we inaugurated a factory in Mauritius, to sell to Madagascar and some parts of East Africa, and in March started building a factory in Oman for the Gulf market. We also have just signed a co-venture with an US company for the production of paints for cars and other vehicles.” Jalaj said that Asian Paints was expecting a growth in excess of 20 per cent in sales and in profit in 2000. “We would like to add on one or two countries every year. We have said we would like to be the leading decorative company in the world.”