For Indian Startups With Digital CX Solutions, Its Time To Paint The Future With AkzoNobel

Businesses across the globe are constantly evolving to build and enhance the customer experience as part of their crucial growth strategy. A 2021 IBM report says companies that prioritise customer experience (CX) see up to 3x revenue growth compared to other enterprises. 

Another report suggests that customer-centric tools such as conversational commerce, voice search, video streaming, and augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR) top the CX tech chart as they drive ecommerce growth. However, building these tools require human resources and capital expenditure, a challenging task for bootstrapped and early-stage startups. 

As these gaps may hinder an excellent customer experience and eventually retention and growth, AkzoNobel, maker of paint brand Dulux Paint, helps startups test, launch and scale their disruptive tech solutions via its Paint the Future (PTF) programme. 

The industry major — which has a presence across 150 countries — has already accelerated the growth of 14 startups across three editions of the programme since 2019.

For Paint the Future India startup challenge on the ‘Digital Consumer Experience’ theme, AkzoNobel has partnered with NASSCOM Industry Partnership Program (NIPP). Commenting on the event, Oscar Wezenbeek, managing director, AkzoNobel Decorative Paints, South East & South Asia said, “Paint the Future is all about accelerating consumer-centric digital disruptions by Indian startups – the backbone of new India, to a global stage.” 

PTF India; Focus: Digital Consumer Experience

According to some reports, the Indian paint and coatings market is estimated at INR 55K Cr, with decorative paints accounting for 75% of this pie. 

When it comes to painting, Indian consumer behaviour is fast changing. The painting cycle has already been reduced to 5-7 years, furthermore, with the pandemic, the focus shifted to home decoration and demand for safer digital interactions. Differentiated products and convenient digital experiences have really become a key driving force for consumers of today. 

“And that’s precisely why AkzoNobel’s India challenge theme is “Digital Consumer Experience”, explained the giant.

Elaborating on the theme, Rajiv Rajgopal, managing director, AkzoNobel India says, “The Paint the Future India startup challenge aims to discover digital solutions that can boost the magic of Dulux paints and transform the way consumers experience our products and services.” 

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Who Can Apply 

All tech-based startups with digital solutions to enhance CX for consumers across the three phases of the painting journey (planning, application and post-purchase reassurance) are invited to join the challenge. 

Why You Should Participate

For startups, there’s a lot that AkzoNobel brings to the table:

1. Early-stage startups not only get to take their innovations to the market faster, but also a collaboration opportunity finalised mutually (between the startup and AkzoNobel) 
2. Access to the international stage and markets through the collaboration
3. Access to experts and mentors from the industry through the AkzoNobel network

More doors unlock for the winning startups as they will win tailored, collaborative agreements. They will be joining 14 successful startups – winners of the three Paint the Future startup challenges who are already working in collaboration with AkzoNobel. 

Highlights Of PTF India

After selection, all finalists will be invited to PTF’s two-day boot camp in September to build upon their value proposition and business model with help from AkzoNobel’s experts. 

At the end of the event, the jury members of AkzoNobel will choose the best solutions that can overcome the challenges presented. The acceleration process will start in October 2022 to help scale these solutions through implementation.

• The Boot Camp: AkzoNobel experts and startups will collaborate during the two-day event, following which the jury of experts will announce the final winners.
• Acceleration: Winners of the PTF India Challenge, will receive letters of intent, mutually defining the collaboration, and will get to scale their solutions through AkzoNobel.

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