With Dashain around, home owners are looking forward to renovate and beautify their abodes. One of the best ways to give a new look to homes is by painting it and this might be the best time with paint companies offering attractive schemes. Dilli Ram Poudel, area sales manager of Berger Paints, says, “The competition is really tough and the good thing is that, along with competition, the market is growing. In comparison to last year, the overall customer base for paints has increased by about 45 per cent. To sus tain in this competition, it is not enough to maintain product quality. We already provide consumers with 11,000 shades of exterior and interior paints to choose from. But we also need to show an active presence in the market through various promo t i o n a l activities.“

To keep ahead of the competition, Berger Paints Berger Paints has already launched its Dashain offer -`Berger ko Taam Jhaam' -since August, which will last till the end of the festive season. Under the scheme, each customer who purchases Berger Paints worth Rs 5,000 is provided with a scratch card, with an on-the-spot chance of winning an Acer Aspire Happy Note Book, Nokia N5250 and Karbon K10 mobile phones and cash worth millions. As a bumper prize, one can even bag a Suzuki Alto. Sharma adds, “Besides this, we are also giving away iPhone 4 every week to a lucky winner so Rs 5,000 can fulfil a lot of your desires.“

Equally determined to prove itself is Pashupati Paints Pvt Ltd (PPPL), which has been colouring Nepali homes since the last 27 years. Being a Nepali brand, it is competing against strong international players like Asian Paints and Berger. Abhishek Murarka, director of Pashupati Paints, says, “After observing the dominance of international paints, we decided to give the Nepali market their own paint manufacturing unit with local as well as international taste.“

Danfe, a segment of PPPL, is very popular for its economically priced enamel. Currently, Pashupati Paints is flaunting its luxury emulsion paint -Luxuria. Homeowners can ask for a 200 ml free sample from their nearest dealers. Besides this, PPPL offers Nepolin Exterior Emulsion Paint, ex-coat plus, ex-coat, one way emulsion, Danfe series, synthetic varnish, exterior primer and other industrial paints. As a festive offer, it has launched `Pashupati Paints Khushi Ko Atut Bandhan' focusing on painters. In this point based scheme, painters purchasing the products are awarded with specific points.
Once the purchasers collect 1,000 points, they can collect special gift hampers.

Asian Paints (Nepal) Private Limited (APPL) is a leading paint maker in the Asian market. With a manufacturing facility of capacity over 8,000 kilo litres located at Hetuada industrial estate, it flaunts ISO-9002 certified products in about 10,000 shades. Budhaditya Mukharjee, country director for APPL says, “Nepali consumers are quite aware, so rather than concentrating on offers and coupons, they seek products that will keep their home shining for years. Focusing on this trait, we have launched Royale with Teflon surface protectors that will keep walls shiny and easy to maintain for a longer period of time. The feedback we are getting is amazing.“

He adds, “We are the licence holders and dealers of Teflon in India. Our products are lead and mercury free according to international standards, though Nepal's law has no such specifi cation. The delivery of such products has made us the market leader, with 30 to 40 per cent of growth in sales with Rs 1.45 billion worth sales last year. This year, we are expecting sales not less than that.“

Nepal Shalimar Paints (NSP) is another prominent domestic paint manufacturer. Madhav Prasad Gautam, manager of NSP , says, “We provide all kind of paints like exterior, interior, decorative and industrial. Our products come with seven years' warranty and as they are reasonably priced, they are getting popular among consumers. This may be the reason we are growing by 45 per cent every passing year.“

He further adds, “Paints are an emerging industry and Asian Paints leads the market.
However, the situation is quite favourable for us and competition is fierce yet fair. So, getting into the spirit, we are planning to offer a mind boggling festive scheme where our consumers can win anything from home appliances to a motorbike through lucky draw coupons.“

With so much on offer this festive season it will be difficult to resist giving your home a makeover.

Tips for the perfect paint job
· Pay close attention to the sur face: Check if paint on the wall is cracking, or forming blisters.
· Power washing: When washing vertical surfaces, start from the bottom and work up to prevent streaks from drips. It is impor tant to complete an entire plane or wall in one session, and then, before the surface dries, rinse from the top down. Once the surface is dry, it is time to paint.

Now, start at the top and work down to brush out any drips.
· Get the timing right: Do not paint too early in the morning.

Do not coat while direct sunlight is beaming on the surface. This can cause wrinkles or premature fading. Paint west-facing walls in the morning and east-facing ones in the afternoon. Allow time between coats for complete drying but do not wait for too long. Be wary of painting if it is particularly windy. Wind can deposit debris on the wet surface and create blistering.

· Use correct paints and primers: Paints and primers are surface specific, and you should not go for the most affordable just to save money.
· Be safe: Use reliable ladders, scaffolding or lifts