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Born in 1942 in colonial Bombay, between World War II and the Quit India Movement, Asian Paints began its journey by offering products tailored to the lime-washed homes of middle-class India.
83 years and a net worth of Rs 2.47 trillion later, the paint giant now collaborates with the likes of Sabyasachi and Manish Malhotra to cater to the increasingly refined tastes of aspirational India.
Asian Paints recently launched a new Royale Glitz commercial featuring a selection of "ultra-sheen" and "creme finish" paints from its premium product line, Royale. The television commercial stars Deepika Padukone and includes the catchy jingle, "Glitz it, Glitz it."
Royale Aspira (for waterproofing), Royale Glitz (for a creme finish), Royale Shyne (for a high-gloss look), Royale Matte (for a non-reflective finish) and Royale Luxury Emulsion (foundational product) all fall under the Asian Paints Royale premium product line.
Moving beyond mere surface finishes to a complete home décor experience, the brand’s latest campaign aims to reposition paint as the centrepiece of design and self-expression.
“It is based on lifestyle; it is behavioural, aimed at people looking at a certain kind of self-expression. When people look at rooms, it reflects their personalities,” says Amit Syngle, CEO and managing director of Asian Paints.
"Royale Glitz becomes a starting point for imagining home decor and serves as the centre of the design," he adds.
With the new campaign, Asian Paints aims to transform paint from being seen as the end of a home-building process to becoming the very beginning of a creative journey.
The goal, as Syngle explains, is to “move from the whole area of surfaces to space”, making each wall a canvas for a lived story and filling it with character.
A diverse audience for accessible luxury
The brand's target audience includes not only High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs) but also those who aspire to a luxurious lifestyle. "Royale Glitz makes luxury a little bit more affordable," adds Syngle.
The starting price point for a Royal Glitz application and top coat is approximately Rs 25 to 35 per square foot, which for a 3-4 BHK apartment can range from Rs 2.5 to 4 lakhs, inclusive of “luxury finishes combining it with textures and wallpapers.”
In comparison, Asian Paints' economic product line of Tractor Emulsion paints can cost as low as Rs 8 to 12 (approx.) per square foot.
Additionally, the company offers a comprehensive "Beautiful Home Painting Service", enabling customers to get the whole process from visualisation to execution done with a single call.
From social media platforms to over 800 retail outlets nationwide, Royale Glitz is leveraging every possible avenue to generate excitement around its product line.
One of the initiatives by the brand is the Glitz Decor Guide, which serves as a resource showcasing the products and services that Royale Glitz offers, “as if you are glossing through a magazine and taking inspiration.”
From Gattu to Deepika Padukone
Padukone has been associated with Asian Paints for over a decade, and her image “perfectly blends” with the positioning of Royale Glitz. According to Syngle, Deepika Padukone stands “for global luxury, grace, and sophistication, which rubs off on the brand very positively”.
"She is already endorsing a lot of international brands; she is the perfect brand ambassador who fits the bill," adds Syngle.
Since Padukone has just returned from a mini hiatus, Syngle believes that she carries a sense of nostalgia with her presence for the audience who have missed her.
Fun Fact: In 1954, Asian Paints introduced a mascot christened 'Gattu', a mischievous boy with a paintbrush, created by the renowned cartoonist R.K. Laxman. The relatable Gattu helped humanise the brand in a market dominated by industrial and corporate imagery.
Embracing regionalisation
“Overall, a big trend in today's segmentation is that regionalisation is becoming very, very important,” says Syngle. “People are getting enthused by the region's culture, regional taste, and regional nuances. Therefore, for any brand to take only one kind of national stream is not a great idea,” he adds.
Asian Paints invests heavily in regional storytelling. The brand tailors its campaigns and even its packaging to resonate with local cultures and traditions.
"We have gone to the extent of regionalising the packs for Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh so that it resonates with the culture, the story and the traditions of that region very strongly," Syngle says.
Elaborating further on regionalisation, Syngle says, “We do very detailed studies on regional colour movements because each region appropriates a different colour palette, so this research helps us to publish catalogues and books which are more regional in nature, excite the customer far more strongly, and create brand cohesion.”
Continuing its four-decade-long Sharad Shamman legacy campaign in Kolkata. Asian Paints' "Cholte Cholte 40" initiative will use Royale Glitz paint to transform 40 of Kolkata's iconic yellow taxis into moving art installations, showcasing the city’s evolving Pujo artistry.
Fun Fact: In the 1940s and 1950s, when Asian Paints was still establishing its presence in a paint market dominated by foreign brands selling paints in large containers, the brand participated in regional festivals such as Pongal in Tamil Nadu and Bail Pola in Maharashtra. How? By selling 50-100 ml containers of bright paints that the locals could use to paint the horns of the bulls, as is customary during the festivities.
The economics of paint
Despite the potential of an economic slowdown, especially affecting the wallets of Royale Glitz’s target audience in the aspirational India, Syngle remains optimistic, calling it a “continuous process”.
“There are some segments that can slow down in the interim, but there are newer segments which are coming,” he explains.
He sees new opportunities emerging, such as the growing trend of second homes.
"The concept of second homes is coming in coastal places such as Alibaug, Goa and Kerala; people are spending huge amounts of money in those second homes because of the remote working gig culture," he points out.
Syngle also notes that “mid- to luxury-level housing is moving faster than affordable housing, so we are betting big on the premium and luxury segment.”
The company’s broad product portfolio, delivering diverse price points, enables it to weather market fluctuations. "We have a product for every pocket, and we would be able to energise people for spending either on an occasion or for a maintenance cycle," he says.
“India is a consumption economy,” he asserts.
The media plan
After sponsoring IPL 2025 to ensure a pan-India presence, Asian Paints is now eyeing the Asia Cup, which starts on September 9, 2025.
Asian Paints' international presence overlaps with the participating countries in the Asia Cup. Of the 15 countries where it operates, five are also participating in the 2025 Asia Cup: India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Oman, and the UAE.
Beyond sports, the brand has also sponsored staple Indian shows like Kaun Banega Crorepati (KBC) on Sony, in addition to partnering with the South Indian editions of Bigg Boss. "The media plan is pretty power-packed," says Syngle.
He acknowledges the increasing competition in the paint industry, with three to four new brands entering the market in recent years. Instead of viewing this as a threat, the company is “looking at it as an element of differentiation, an element of innovation”.
According to Syngle, the company instead aims to focus on developing new products and adjacent campaigns that not only excite the "new gen" of consumers but also offer something fresh and different to their loyal, long-standing customer base.
