Birla Opus sees early signs of digital buying in Indian paints market

In a category where trust is built over decades and repainting cycles stretch from three to five years, breaking through entrenched consumer behaviour is no small task. Yet, within just a year and a half of advertising, Birla Opus claims to have achieved what many new entrants struggle with for far longer- strong recall, rapid awareness, and a distinct brand voice.

Speaking about the brand’s journey, Inderpreet Singh, head of marketing at Birla Opus, says the focus from day one was not incremental disruption but clear differentiation in a market dominated by a single leader and a distant second tier.

“Today, we are already the second most recalled paint brand in India, with 89% aided awareness,” Singh says, adding that the momentum is reflected not just in internal metrics but also in consistent external feedback from consumers, media, and industry peers.

Part of the Aditya Birla Group, the paint brand has unveiled ‘Birla Opus Replay’, a lookback at how the country played with colours in 2025, based on millions of real purchase decisions gathered via their Birla Opus Tinting Machines.

The report analyses actual colour consumption over the past year rather than forecasting future trends.

The data reveals clear regional preferences – lighter shades in the south, stronger mid-tones in the north and east – with ‘Fort Kochi’, a dark bluish grey colour from the Neutrals family, emerging as the most preferred shade nationally.

Despite India’s diversity, nearly 50% of consumers returned to the same 20 most trusted shades consistently throughout the year, highlighting a strong preference for familiarity even as newer colours found space during festive season and occasions.

These insights now inform both product development and market-specific offerings. And going forward, Singh expects gradual digitisation of the category, with early signs of online discovery and assisted buying beginning to emerge, even though the market remains predominantly offline today.

Building distinction in a traditional category

Singh says that the team recognised early on that any conventional approach could potentially become a part of the "halo effect" of the category leader.

“If you don’t build sharp distinctiveness, whatever you say will eventually get attributed to the market leader. That’s the construct of this category,” he explains.

To counter this, Birla Opus adopted what Singh describes as a "head and heart" strategy—combining functional messaging with a larger emotional idea.

This led to the articulation of its core brand thought, Duniya Ko Rang Do, positioning paint not merely as a home improvement product but as a catalyst for change in everyday life.
One of the most unconventional moves for Birla Opus was its animated launch film, introducing the Opus Boy character – a creative choice that ran counter to category norms.

“At the time, many people told us not to launch with animation, saying we’d become a 'cartoon brand’,” Singh recalls.

“But the very fact that it was so different helped us cut through. The brand name was registered, the thought was registered, and people noticed us.”

The Opus Boy continues to anchor the brand’s storytelling, including its first campaign of 2026, launched on January 9, which again uses animation to explore modern family dynamics and emotional disconnect driven by screens.

Turning ‘new’ into an advantage

While functional communication typically revolves around durability, finish, or longevity, Birla Opus deliberately avoided claims that competitors could easily replicate. Instead, the brand leaned into its biggest perceived disadvantage- being new.

“Most consumers initially told us, ‘You’re new; let the brand stabilise first.’ So we asked ourselves, "Why should new be bad?” Singh says.

This insight led to the positioning of Naye Zamane Ka Naya Paint, reframing newness as modernity, progress, and digital-first thinking. The brand reinforced this with the choice of rising, contemporary celebrities Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, who continue as brand ambassadors.

Festivals have also played a central role in Birla Opus’ communication strategy, but Singh emphasises that the intent has never been surface-level cultural cues. Whether it is Pongal, Ganpati, or Diwali, the festivals serve as context rather than the core narrative.
The stories focus on human relationships – a daughter finding her voice, a child’s simple wish, or an elderly couple longing for their children’s visit – allowing the films to scale nationally, despite regional settings.

“If a story makes you smile, tear up, or feel something, you remember the brand,” Singh adds.

Rethinking the paint retail experience

One of the key gaps Birla Opus identified early was the lack of evolution in paint retail environments, especially when compared to other building material categories such as tiles or sanitaryware.

“Those industries have invested heavily in ambience and experience-led stores. Paint retail, on the other hand, hadn’t evolved to that level,” Singh says.

This insight led to the brand’s focus on franchise-led experience stores, designed to encourage exploration rather than transactional buying. Instead of relying solely on shade cards, consumers are encouraged to engage with finishes, textures, and colour combinations in a more immersive environment before making decisions.

Singh believes this experiential approach aligns with how consumers increasingly want to shop – informed, inspired, and confident, particularly when it comes to home décor.

According to him, premiumisation today goes beyond the product itself. Singh points out that consumers are increasingly seeking a premium experience across the buying journey.

This shift has driven demand for end-to-end painting services, where consumers opt not just for paint, but for a fully managed solution covering consultation, application, and finishing.

“The market is getting more organised,” he explains. “Consumers want branded players to deliver services, and who better than a paint company that understands the product best.”

Limited DIY, growing service orientation

Despite global markets seeing a rise in DIY (do-it-yourself) painting, Singh does not expect a similar shift in India in the near term.

“At least for now, we don’t see a strong DIY trend,” he says. "As long as labour costs remain reasonable, neighbourhood painting contractors will continue to dominate."

Instead, the focus remains on organised services and professional applications, an area where branded paint companies are playing a larger role.

Tenants influencing décor decisions

Another emerging shift is the growing role of tenants in repainting and décor decisions- a space traditionally dominated by homeowners.

“Earlier, owners largely drove repainting decisions for rental properties,” Singh says. “Now we’re seeing more cases where tenants are choosing colours and finishes, with owners agreeing to get it done.”

While this trend reflects a form of premiumisation driven by lifestyle expectations, Singh notes that the rental segment remains “relatively small” compared to self-use housing. Importantly, he cautions against categorising the tenant market strictly as "economic" or "premium."

“It varies widely – depending on the type of home, location, rental value, and tenant expectations,” he explains. As a result, both economy and luxury paint options find relevance within this segment.

What’s next?

Looking ahead, Birla Opus plans to continue with Vicky Kaushal and Rashmika Mandanna, deepen its presence in cricket and high-impact entertainment properties, and further build brand distinctiveness through festivals and the Opus Boy character.
“Our approach remains pan-India,” Singh says. “What’s working, we will continue to refine- not reinvent for the sake of it.”

He expects the decorative paints category to continue growing, supported by macro trends such as rising incomes, nuclear households, shorter repainting cycles, and sustained premiumisation.

“The market will continue to become more organised,” he says, while cautioning that competitive intensity is likely to increase.