Asian Paints sells roughly 200 different paint SKUs in India and the names blur together. The three you'll actually be choosing between for most residential work are Royale, Apex, and Tractor Emulsion — one for each main use case.
This guide breaks down what they're each for, what you should pay, and where each one is the right choice.
TL;DR — quick recommendation
| Where | Best pick | Cost (per L) | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interior walls — premium finish | Royale Luxury Emulsion | ₹339 | 110–130 sqft/L |
| Interior walls — value | Tractor Emulsion | ₹190 | 100–120 sqft/L |
| Exterior walls — Chennai climate | Apex Weatherproof | ₹420 | 100–110 sqft/L |
| Wood / metal surfaces | Apcolite Enamel (different range) | ₹450 | varies |
The 3 you need to know
1. Royale Luxury Emulsion (interior, premium)
The flagship interior paint. Smooth finish, washable, low VOC. Used for living rooms, master bedrooms, and any interior surface you'll see up close.
- Available sizes: 1L, 4L, 10L, 20L
- Cost: ₹339/L for the 1L size; cheaper per L in larger packs (around ₹296/L in 10L bucket)
- Coverage: 110–130 sqft per litre per coat
- Drying: 4 hours touch-dry, 6 hours recoat
- Sheen options: Royale Silk (low sheen), Royale Aspira (matte), Royale Shyne (glossy)
When to use it: any interior where you want a premium look and surface durability. Royale handles scrubbing without dulling — important for hallways, kid's rooms, and rentals where walls get marked up.
2. Tractor Emulsion (interior, value)
The workhorse. Decent finish, lower cost, mid-tier washability. Used for bedrooms not facing the public, utility rooms, ceilings, and basically any interior where you want clean walls but don't need the Royale finish.
- Available sizes: 1L, 4L, 10L, 20L
- Cost: ₹190/L (1L size), around ₹165/L in 20L
- Coverage: 100–120 sqft per litre per coat
- Sheen: matte, slight chalkiness when scrubbed (vs Royale's smooth wipe)
When to use it: large surface areas where you don't want to spend Royale money — basement, store room, large ceilings, kitchen, utility area. Pair Royale on key visible walls with Tractor on the rest.
See Tractor Emulsion at Suppliable →
3. Apex Weatherproof Exterior Emulsion (exterior)
The exterior workhorse for Indian climate. UV-resistant, anti-fungal, bridges hairline cracks, repels rain. Mandatory pick for Chennai's monsoon-and-sun double-punch.
- Available sizes: 1L, 4L, 10L, 20L
- Cost: ₹420/L for the 1L size; around ₹360/L in 20L bucket
- Coverage: 100–110 sqft per litre per coat
- Lifespan: 7-10 years if applied correctly (vs 3-5 years for cheap exterior paints)
When to use it: every external wall, compound wall, parapets, columns visible from outside, terrace walls.
Variants worth knowing:
- Apex Ultima — 12-year warranty, around ₹650/L. Premium upgrade for high-rise / showcase builds.
- Apex Shyne — glossy finish for trim work.
See Apex Weatherproof at Suppliable →
What about Birla Opus?
Birla Opus launched in 2024 and is aggressively pricing against Asian Paints. The quality is genuinely competitive — particularly for interior emulsions. If budget is the deciding factor, Birla Opus Pure Elegance Emulsion at around ₹250/L (1L) is a solid alternative to Royale.
For exterior, Asian Paints Apex still has the longer track record in Indian weather, so stick with Apex for outside if you can.
See Birla Opus at Suppliable →
How much paint do I need?
Quick formula (per coat):
- Total wall area in sqft ÷ (coverage per litre × 0.9 for wastage)
- Multiply by 2 coats for finished result
Example: 2BHK with 1200 sqft of interior wall area, painting with Tractor Emulsion (110 sqft/L coverage):
- Per coat: 1200 ÷ (110 × 0.9) = 12.1 L
- Total for 2 coats: ~24 L
In practice, order 27-28 L (one 20L + one 10L + a 1L for touch-ups). Always round up — running out mid-paint job is a multi-hour delay while you fetch more. Or order from us — 60-minute delivery → saves the day.
We have a separate post on how to estimate paint quantity → with a full sqft-to-litres worked example.
Primer is not optional
Skipping primer is the #1 reason exterior paint peels in 2-3 years instead of lasting 7-10.
- For new construction: prime with Asian Paints Wall Primer (Water-based) — ₹220/L
- For repaint over existing paint: still prime, but Apex Exterior Primer works
- For wood / metal: use the matching primer (red oxide for metal, wood primer for wood)
One coat of primer plus two coats of finish paint = the universal standard. Two coats of primer for chalky or freshly-plastered surfaces.
Putty before primer
Walls aren't smooth out of the plaster. You need wall putty to fill the unevenness before primer.
- Asian Paints TruCare Wall Putty 20 kg — white cement-based, the standard pick
- Birla Wall Care Putty 40 kg — slightly larger pack, similar quality
- Coverage: 20 kg covers about 250 sqft of wall for two thin coats
The full paint sequence
For a fresh wall, end-to-end:
- Wall putty — 2 coats, sand between
- Primer — 1 coat (2 for chalky walls)
- Finish paint — 2 coats (or 3 for darker colours over white)
Total turn-around: 5-7 days for a 2BHK, mostly drying time.
Cost ballpark for a 2BHK paint job (May 2026)
| Item | Quantity | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Wall putty (20 kg) | 4-5 bags | ₹2,500 |
| Wall primer (10L) | 2 cans | ₹3,500 |
| Tractor Emulsion (20L) | 1 bucket | ₹3,300 |
| Royale Luxury Emulsion (10L) | 1 bucket | ₹3,000 |
| Apex Weatherproof (20L) for ext. | 1 bucket | ₹7,200 |
| Rollers, brushes, putty knives | assorted | ₹1,200 |
| Subtotal (materials) | ₹20,700 |
Plus labour: ₹15-25 per sqft of wall area for the full putty + primer + 2-coat job. A 2BHK at ~1500 sqft wall area is ₹22,500–₹37,500 labour.
Bottom line
For a typical Chennai 2BHK: Royale on the main rooms, Tractor on bedrooms/utility, Apex on exterior. All in stock at Suppliable Sholinganallur, delivered in 60 minutes — browse painting products →.
If budget is tight: Tractor everywhere interior, Apex exterior. Skip the Royale.
If it's a showcase build: Royale Luxury everywhere interior, Apex Ultima exterior. Costs ~40% more but lasts 10+ years.
Paint team at Suppliable. WhatsApp us with your house size and we'll quote the full paint BOM within an hour.