MUMBAI, April 2 -- As the Iran war pushes up crude-linked input costs and squeezes margins, India's paint makers are turning to industrial coatings for steadier growth as competition intensifies in decorative paints.

The shift reflects dual pressures: disruption in the core decorative segment following the entry of Birla Opus, and margin strain linked to supply-chain dislocations from the West Asia conflict, prompting companies to look beyond consumer-facing paints.

JSW Paints, which acquired AkzoNobel India in a deal valued at nearly Rs.9,000 crore to become the country's fourth-largest paint company, sees stronger growth potential in industrial coatings than in the decorative segment, Parth Jindal managing director of JSW Paints and c...