Rakshit Hargave, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Birla Opus Paints, has submitted his resignation, effective December 5, 2025. Hargave had joined the Aditya Birla company in November 2021 and played a key role in laying the foundation for the conglomerate’s entry into the highly competitive decorative paints business.
According to reports, Hargave will be joining dairy and biscuit major Britannia Industries in a leadership role. Following his exit, Himanshu Kapania, Managing Director of Grasim Industries, will step in as the interim CEO.
During his tenure with the Birlas, the paint business expanded rapidly since its launch in February 2024. Hargave was instrumental in establishing six integrated manufacturing facilities and scaling distribution and supply chain networks nationwide for the paint business.
“Rakshit Hargave, CEO, Birla Opus Paints, has decided to pursue opportunities outside the company, and the Nomination & Remuneration Committee, followed by the Board of Directors, at their respective meetings held today, have accepted his resignation and approved his request to exit the organization at the close of business hours on 5th December 2025,” said Grasim Industries in a filing to the exchanges.
“The Board appreciated his contribution from the ‘Project to Launch’ phase of Birla Opus and wished him the best for his future endeavors. Mr. Rakshit’s successor will be announced in due course. In the interim, Himanshu Kapania, Managing Director of the company, will directly oversee the paints business,” the statement added.
Hargave earlier served as Managing Director of Nivea India and has also been associated with Unilever, Nestlé, and Domino’s Pizza.
Grasim Industries on Wednesday said that its paints business, Birla Opus, continues to gain market share in the Indian decorative paints market, despite an industry slowdown. It added that revenue market share gains are driven by rapid expansion of the distribution network, higher secondary sales, enhanced brand visibility, and sustained product quality differentiation.
“With the commencement of the Kharagpur plant in October 2025, total capacity has reached 1,332 MLPA, marking an industry capacity share of 24%, the second largest in the Indian decorative paints market. The decorative paints distribution network has now expanded to over 10,000 towns, surpassing the original guidance. Cumulative capex for the paints business stood at ₹9,727 crore till September 2025,” the company stated.
Grasim Industries also reported that its consolidated net profit surged 76% year-on-year to ₹553 crore in the second quarter of FY26. Consolidated revenue for the quarter stood at ₹39,900 crore, up 17% year-on-year.
