Path to purchase is changing. If we don’t change, we risk becoming irrelevant: Ashish Rai

At the e4m RetailEX Conference, JSW Paints made a compelling case for how technology is fundamentally reshaping the way consumers choose paints, with Ashish Rai, CEO, Decorative Paints, outlining a decisive shift from guesswork to certainty in the purchase journey.

Delivering the keynote titled “Colouring the Retail Experience: How Decorative Paints Are Reinventing the Path to Purchase”, Rai highlighted how the category, traditionally driven by painter and retailer influence, is undergoing a consumer-first transformation powered by digital tools, AI and in-store innovation.

Rai began by unpacking a long-standing challenge in the paints category. Despite the availability of thousands of shades, the decision-making process has historically relied heavily on intermediaries such as contractors and painters. “Consumers were never really choosing from 2,000 shades. They were depending on someone else to tell them what would look good,” he noted.

To address this, JSW Paints first reimagined the humble shade card, making it more intuitive and contextual. Instead of abstract colour swatches, consumers could visualise how specific shades would look on different walls within a home setting. However, Rai acknowledged that this was still a largely physical intervention in a category that needed deeper experiential engagement.

The real shift came at the retail level. With nearly 175,000 paint outlets across India, of which around 80,000 are equipped with tinting machines, Rai pointed out that most stores still lack a mechanism to help consumers visualise the final outcome. JSW Paints responded by introducing compact in-store experience zones, typically within an 8 by 10 feet space, equipped with large screens. These allow consumers to upload real images of their homes and see simulated transformations of walls and exteriors using different colours.

The response has been significant. Rai revealed that across approximately 320 such retail points, nearly 60,000 consumers engage with this visualisation tool every month. “You don’t buy before you see. That’s the shift we are enabling,” he said.

Building on this, the company has now moved beyond physical retail to an AI-driven visualisation tool accessible via smartphones. The tool allows users to upload images of their homes and interact conversationally to explore colour options, much like using AI platforms. Instead of overwhelming users with choices, the system focuses on delivering precise recommendations aligned with individual preferences.

Importantly, the tool factors in real-world conditions such as lighting variations across different times of the day. Whether a room receives morning sunlight or evening shade, consumers can preview how colours will appear in those specific contexts. This level of personalisation, Rai said, is critical in reducing decision fatigue and post-purchase regret.

Complementing the technology layer is a human interface through what the company calls “JSW buddies”. These are on-ground representatives who assist consumers in navigating choices, ensuring that all queries are addressed before any purchase is made. “This is about moving from hope to certainty,” Rai emphasised.

The impact of such innovations is already visible in broader market trends. Rai pointed out that the repainting cycle in India has shortened from five years to around three and a half years over the past decade, dropping further to nearly three years in top metro cities. This shift is driven not just by product innovation but by evolving consumer aspirations.

“People are expressing themselves through colours. There is a strong coming together of décor and paint,” he said.

He also highlighted the growing importance of time efficiency. Urban consumers, he observed, are increasingly “money rich and time poor”, seeking faster and more reliable decision-making processes. Digital visualisation tools help compress what used to be a trial-and-error process into a single, confident decision window.

Beyond product selection, JSW Paints is also expanding into end-to-end painting services across 14 cities. Through a digital interface, consumers can book services, receive expert guidance, track project progress remotely and ensure minimal disruption at home. The emphasis is on delivering a clean, predictable and hassle-free experience, addressing long-standing pain points associated with home painting.

Rai noted that consumers today are willing to pay a premium for certainty, cleanliness and convenience. “They don’t want the chaos that typically comes with painting. They want assurance,” he said.

From a retail standpoint, these innovations are also democratising premium experiences. Smaller paint stores, even in tier two markets, can now offer the same level of digital engagement as larger outlets through compact tech integrations. This is helping elevate the overall retail ecosystem and standardise consumer experience across geographies.

Concluding his address, Rai reflected on the broader pace of change. He observed that while consumers and even government systems are rapidly adopting technology, businesses often lag behind. He urged industry leaders to embrace continuous learning and even seek reverse mentoring from digital natives to stay relevant.

JSW Paints, he reiterated, is aiming to break into the top three players in the industry through a combination of organic and inorganic growth. However, he stressed that this ambition will be driven not by incremental improvements but by rethinking the entire consumer journey in line with evolving expectations.

“The path to purchase is changing rapidly. If we do not change with it, we risk becoming irrelevant,” Rai concluded.