Sharad Malhotra elevated as Managing Director of Nippon Paint India

The NIPSEA Group, a subsidiary of Nippon Paint Holdings of Japan, announced the appointment of Sharad Malhotra as Managing Director of Nippon Paint India, effective December 1, 2025. Sharad Malhotra will succeed Jon Tan as Managing Director, reporting to the CEO of the Group, Wee Siew Kim. Malhotra becomes the first Indian to be appointed to this position in the company.

Headquartered in Japan, Nippon Paint is the world’s fourth largest paint company in terms of revenue and the No. 1 paints and coatings company in the Asia Pacific region. The appointment of Malhotra is in line with the company’s plans to grow its business in India, which it sees as a strategic market for the company’s expansion and long-term deep-rooted presence. Malhotra is a 15-year-old veteran in Nippon Paint, having built the automotive refinish, wood coatings and light industrial coatings business for the company from ground up in India. An existing Director on Board of the company, Malhotra, was recently in the news about Nippon Paint expanding its business beyond paint with the company’s venture into paint protection films and other new categories.

Commenting on his appointment, Wee Siew Kim, Co-President of Nippon Paint Holdings and Group CEO, NIPSEA Group said: "We are delighted to appoint Mr. Sharad Malhotra to this pivotal leadership role. Sharad has successfully led and charted a strong growth path for our auto refinish business globally, while being based in India. His proven ability to deliver results, deep understanding of our business, and commitment to excellence make him ideally suited to lead our India operations through the next phase of growth.”

Speaking on his new role, Sharad Malhotra, Managing Director, Nippon Paint India said, "It is an immense honour to lead Nippon Paint India at this transformative and pivotal moment. The Indian market presents unique opportunities and challenges, and I look forward to expand possibilities for our business, build on our strengths, and support our customers and partners as we move forward."

 As Managing Director, Malhotra will be responsible for driving the overall direction and strategy of India Group. By building on the company’s established strengths in Asia and responding thoughtfully to the needs of India’s diverse market, his focus will be firmly on sustainable growth in India across all segments of the paint market in India. At the same time, Mr. Malhotra will continue to spearhead Nippon Paint’s global foray into the automotive aftermarket business, a category that he has led since inception.

India is a key market for Nippon Paint with its large, youthful population, rapid economic growth, and vast consumer base. With a favorable business environment, skilled workforce and expanding infrastructure, Nippon Paint sees strong reasons to focus on the Indian market.

As Nippon Paint India enters this new phase under a new leader, the company will continue its focus on creating and maximizing value for all its stakeholders. This transition builds on the Group’s collective experience in Asian markets, including India, and seeks to leverage the strength of its infrastructure, technologies, teams and expanding ecosystem as it moves forward with purpose and ambition, charting out its own course in India’s compelling market.