Aditya Birla Group plugs into wires & cables after paints

CHENNAI: The Aditya Birla Group is set to formally launch its wires and cables business in Mumbai on September 3, marking its latest assault on an established building-materials market after its aggressive entry into paints.

While details of the group’s planned Rs 1,800-crore investment and manufacturing facilities have already emerged, the formal launch will signal the beginning of its commercial push in a segment dominated by established brands such as Polycab, KEI Industries, Havells and Finolex.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, is expected to unveil the new venture, which is being positioned around “a brand built on trust” and “powerful beginnings”, as per the launch invite reviewed by

DT Next.

The group is entering the wires and cables market through its flagship UltraTech Cement, as part of its strategy to build a comprehensive building-solutions business. It plans to invest Rs 1,800 crore over two years in the new venture, while its promotional budget is estimated at around Rs 300 crore, highlighting the scale of its ambition.

“This is a B2B venture, while B2C retail would be done through UltraTech Building Solutions, as the effort would be to leverage the network and brand,” a source said.

The new manufacturing facility, being set up near Bharuch in Gujarat, is expected to be commissioned by December 2026.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, Hindalco Industries, the metals flagship of the Group, announced the commissioning of India’s first super specialty alumina manufacturing plant in Karnataka with an annual production capacity of 30,000 tonnes.

The plant will cater to the growing demand for advanced fire-safety materials for wires and cables and other high-performance applications.

Sriram Rangarajan has been appointed CEO to spearhead the new business. Extensive online training sessions have also reportedly been conducted for dealers and distributors across the country ahead of the launch.

The group is taking on established names in a market that has been witnessing a shift from unorganised to organised players.

UltraTech estimates the Indian wires and cables industry recorded a revenue CAGR of around 13% between FY19 and FY24, with demand expected to remain robust on the back of construction, infrastructure and industrial activity.

The foray also mirrors the group’s strategy in paints. Birla Opus entered the Rs 75,000-crore paints market in 2024 with an investment of over Rs 10,000 crore, seeking to challenge entrenched incumbents through scale, capacity and distribution.

Its six automated plants, including one at Cheyyar in Tamil Nadu, have a combined planned capacity of 1,332 million litres a year, equivalent to nearly 40% of India’s organised decorative paints manufacturing capacity.

Birla Opus has since emerged as the third-largest player in organised decorative paints, with the business targeting Rs 10,000 crore in revenue by FY28.

The wires and cables entry is thus more than a product extension for UltraTech. By leveraging its existing UltraTech Building Solutions network, the group is looking to capture a larger share of the customer’s construction wallet. Whether the Birla Opus playbook of deep investment, aggressive capacity creation and distribution-led scaling can disrupt yet another entrenched market, only time will tell.