Indian paint major Berger Paints India Ltd has initiated moves to refocus on its business inRussiaand Poland, a top company official said Friday.

He said strategic growth plan has been draw up for both countries. The Russian business, with a manufacturing unit in Krasnodar in the south western part of the country, is under Berger India's subsidiary, Berger Paints Overseas Ltd. Bolix SA, which also has manufacturing unit, is the corporate entity of Berger India in Poland.

Kulip Singh Dinghra, chairman of Berger Paints, said the former managing director of the company, Subir Bose, would be in charge of this new division and also be responsible for the long-term strategy and implementation of the plan for Berger India in certain parts of Europe and Central Asia both in paints and external insulation finishing system.

Bolix SA recently floated a subsidiary -- Bolix Ukaraine Ltd Liability -- to get a foothold in Central Asia.

Berger has taken several long-term strategies to shore up the nascent operations in Russia, including export of different categories of paints from India and the restructuring of sales network.

Dhingra said Bolix would also join in."We have around 12 acres. Setting up a manufacturing unit of Bolix external insulation products is a possibility. Bolix would also have to take care of human resource development issues in establishing and running such a unit in Russia," Dhingra said.

At present, the operation size of the paints unit in Russia is small."The new strategies will be geared to yield positive operational and financial results. We would also draw an investment plan for the Russian business," Dhindra said.

Even though Bolix increased market share and grew sales by 18 percent, margins came under pressure because of steep increases in raw material prices and adverse foreign exchange fluctuations on imported raw material prices.