Japanese Tier-1 major Nippon Paint has inaugurated its maiden aftermarket automotive paint finishes and car care workshop in Sector 16, Gurugram, Haryana. The workshop, christened ‘Master Craft’ aims to offer an end-to-end vehicle body repair, paint, as well car care services to discerning car owners.
In an industry-first initiative by an automotive paint supplier, Nippon Paint aims to offer a luxurious and an all-encompassing experience to customers through high-quality vehicle care and repair workmanship at its workshop, spread over an area of 9,000 square feet, and located around showrooms and service centres of major car OEMs in Gurugram.
The services offered at the Master Craft outlet will encompass car collision repair, restoration, vehicle care – ceramic coating, and paint protection film (PPF) application – among other detailing services, under one roof. Uniquely, the centre will also offer quick repair services, what Nippon terms as ‘Velocity Repair’ by leveraging its Volatile Organic Compounds or VOC-compliant paint system that meets European standards and shortens the time spent by a car inside the paint booth from 90 to 70 minutes for repainting a panel.
Rapid paint station ensures quick turnaround by reducing time spent by a vehicle inside the paint booth from 90 to 70 minutes for repainting of a panel.
The company will use water-based paints at its workshop from its expansive range of paint solutions for the aftermarket. “This is a declaration that we are trying to rewrite the rulebook in the automotive paint segment. We are the leading paint brand in Asia Pacific, and are trying to push the boundaries in terms of colours and finishing. This facility is for car enthusiasts across brands who are obsessive about every element of their prized possession,” said Sharad Malhotra, President, Automotive Refinishes, Nippon Paint India.
“Our end goal is to offer an exemplary experience to our customers. The Master Craft concept is inspired by vehicle owners themselves. We are making a small beginning in Gurugram, and while this is the maiden store, we plan to expand it to other parts of the country, as well as the world,” he added.
The Nippon Paint Master Kraft outlet in Gurugram features a vehicle care and detailing area offering services such as PPF application and ceramic coating.
Targeting a 30-outlet network by 2026
According to Malhotra, while the Gurugram store is a pilot for the company to assess the customer response and market dynamics, it aims to expand its reach to 25-30 outlets in key markets over the next three years.
The company says the franchise model is quite scalable and would require an investment to the tune of Rs 1.5-2 crore in a similarly-sized outlet with all the equipment in place. “While this is a very offbeat project for Nippon Paint, we believe there are going to be several takers for it. Having said that, the idea is to not mass-scale the concept, but to have curated and well-run centres,” Malhotra said.
“The Indian car market is growing leaps and bounds, and there is a huge opportunity for everyone. Our aim is to organise this segment together with the industry,” he added.
While the company will focus on offering paint as its core service, it plans to draw customers with its other value-add services like vehicle detailing, restoration, and even car decoration services, which, it says, is an emerging segment. Nippon Paint also focus on upskilling its technicians to enhance bodyshop efficiencies and increasing output to lower the repair time for customers. “Quality and speed of repair are going to be our key differentiators,” Malhotra signed off.
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