Why Kansai Nerolac is using a 5-star airline to sell decorative paints

Kansai Nerolac, the Japanese paint giant, and All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan’s biggest airline, have recently partnered in India to launch their new collaborative campaign titled Sorakash. 

The campaign name is an amalgamation of the Japanese (Sora) and Hindi (Akash) words for sky. The reason skies, both Japanese and Indian, are so central to the campaign is that Kansai Nerolac has launched a new pastel colour palette of decorative paints inspired by the hues of the sky. A select few lucky customers who choose to paint their home with it will have the chance to win a free round-trip flight from India to Japan, courtesy of All Nippon Airways. 

Readers may remember Kansai Nerolac from its famous 1990 jingle, "Jab ghar ki raunak badhani ho..." What readers, however, may not know is that Nerolac is a 105-year-old Indian paint brand that became a subsidiary of the 107-year-old Japanese paint company, Kansai, in 1999 after the latter acquired a majority stake in the former from the Tata Group. 

The two companies merged their names in 2006 to form Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd., which now dominates the industrial coating market, holding a 59% share of the Indian automotive paint market, according to company reports. 

While Kansai Nerolac had a revenue of Rs 7,893 crore in FY24 and the third largest market share in the domestic paint market in India (15%), as per ICICI Direct, a stock research and investment portal by the bank, the Sorakash campaign is aimed at making Kansai a more attractive choice for decorative paints. 

All Nippon Airways (ANA) is Japan’s largest 5-star airline. Originally founded in 1952 as a small helicopter service, ANA was established to revive Japanese aviation after WWII. It operates a ‘business corridor’ connecting Tokyo to major Indian hubs like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai. A flight from Mumbai to Tokyo currently costs Rs 40,000 through ANA, inclusive of all taxes. 

Fun Fact: While Delhi and Mumbai are important cities to connect to Tokyo via India, ANA pioneered direct flights from Chennai too because the South Indian city is home to 600+ Japanese outposts (including Nissan, Toshiba, Yamaha, and Mitsubishi), as per Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO).

In conversation with Kansai Nerolac 

To understand why a centenarian paint giant is suddenly looking to the skies, afaqs spoke with Ramkrishna Naik, chief marketing officer at Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd. For Naik, the collaboration isn't just about a clever campaign name; it’s a deliberate effort to weave the company’s "Japanese-ness" into the emotional fabric of Indian homes.

“We are a Japanese brand not just because the ownership is Japanese, but because of the way we do our business,” Naik explains. “A lot of our technology and manufacturing processes come from there. To a large extent, our behaviour is Japanese.” 

Sorakash is an attempt to highlight the Japanese identity of Kansai Nerolac paints in India by associating it with all that Japan has to offer through a round-trip to the country. The campaign will also benefit All Nippon Airways by creating brand awareness among Indians beyond the business corridor. 

Naik also points out that the modern Indian consumer, whether in a high-rise in Mumbai or a home in tier 2 India, is increasingly well-travelled and seeking global inspiration. By partnering with ANA, Nerolac aims to bridge the gap between industrial perfection and aesthetic heritage.

“Japan has always been close to India, and its aesthetics and heritage are wonderful. This was a great opportunity to come closer to a fellow Japanese brand that stands for the highest level of service.”

Premium quality, not premium pricing

One might expect a "5-star airline collaboration" to come with a 5-star price tag, but Naik is quick to clarify that the Sorakash palette is accessible. “We are not going to charge any premium,” he says.

For those looking for a ballpark figure, Naik notes that painting a typical 2BHK home using their Sorakash palette would cost approximately Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000, depending on the specific product chosen.

Assessing the success of the campaign 

While the campaign offers the literal "high" of a trip to Japan, the internal goals are grounded in data. Nerolac is using QR codes across retail outlets to track the sales of the collaboration-specific shades in real-time.

“It is business as well as imagery,” says Naik. While the brand has offered Japanese finishes before, this marks their first large-scale collaboration with a pure Japanese brand to co-create a consumer offering.

As for what’s next, Naik remains focused on the brand’s 107-year-old lineage. While other competitors like Asian Paints are eyeing cricket stadiums and fan interactions, Nerolac seems content—for now—to keep its eyes on the horizon. “Japanese collaborations will be something we look at very, very keenly,” Naik concludes.