By: ICN Bureau
Last updated : May 12, 2026 1:17 pm
The brand aims to fuse advanced paint technology with tradition-led design
Indicus Paints has announced the launch of Indicus Neote luxury interior emulsion, positioning it as a first-of-its-kind luxury paint brand in India that draws deeply from the artistic and cultural legacy of Tamil Nadu.
The brand aims to fuse advanced paint technology with tradition-led design, presenting a new expression of Indian luxury that is “expressive, rooted and globally contemporary.”
At the heart of Neote is a deliberate celebration of Tamil Nadu’s cultural richness. The packaging design balances heritage and modernity, anchored in a deep purple palette that signals confidence and contemporary elegance. It is layered with cultural motifs drawn from across Tamil Nadu and South India, rendered in vivid traditional tones.
The visual storytelling spans classical and folk traditions alike—Bharatanatyam rooted in the Natya Shastra, alongside iconic instruments such as the Veena, Nadaswaram, and Mridangam.
It also highlights artistic crafts like Thanjavur dolls and Kolam, and martial traditions such as Silambattam. Architectural heritage finds space through landmarks including Madurai’s Meenakshi Temple and the University of Madras. Living cultural practices such as boat races and Jallikattu further reinforce a sense of continuity and identity.
Speaking at the launch, Gokul Basker, Brand Founder, Indicus & Partner, VNC Group, said, “With Neote, we wanted to do more than create a luxury paint—we wanted to honour the richness of Tamil Nadu’s cultural heritage. Bringing these timeless arts into our packaging is our way of showing that modernity doesn’t replace tradition—it reimagines it with confidence.”
A Logo Inspired by Language and Motion
The Neote sub-brand logo takes inspiration from Tamil script, with fluid forms that evoke the viscosity of wet paint, blending linguistic heritage with contemporary design expression.
“The logo evokes the same sensibility as Indo-Western fusion music—old and new blending into something distinct that exudes fresh and confident sophistication,” explains Gautam Patil, Co-Founder and Design Head at Plus One, who designed the logo and packaging.
“These elements travel from the Indicus parent brand into Neote, and ultimately into the homes whose walls it will grace—young, contemporary, confident, yet grounded in a rich past.”
Neote’s launch arrives amid a broader shift in India’s design sensibility—one that prioritises authenticity, regional identity, and inherited craft over imported minimalism. The emerging “India Modern” aesthetic embraces richer, tactile materials such as wicker, terracotta, brass, and handloom textiles.
Indic typography is playing a growing role in this transformation, with regional scripts increasingly used as cultural identifiers. Neote’s Tamil-inspired logo reflects this movement, while designers are also moving away from a single “Pan-Indian” visual language in favour of hyper-local inspirations, from Chettinad architecture to Warli art.