Vadodara, 29th April 26, 2025: In an inspiring collaboration dedicated to inclusion and creativity, St+art Care — an Asian Paints and St+art India Foundation initiative, has launched Project Udaan at Arpan Charitable Trust, Vadodara, a nonprofit organization and education center dedicated to supporting children with special needs. At its core, Project Udaan is a pioneering sensory art and design intervention. It aims to foster more awareness for neurodiversity and redefine the learning environment for neurodivergent children, with conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome and others, by creating spaces that enhance engagement, sensory regulation, and self-expression.
The initiative draws inspiration from the metamorphosis of a butterfly, a symbol closely associated with the cause. It symbolizes the transformative journey of a child emerging and coming into their own from the nurturing cocoon of safe spaces like Arpan. By integrating thoughtfully curated textures, colours, and interactive surfaces from Asian Paints’ offerings, the project turns a common space inside the school into an interactive arena that both stimulates and soothes. Developed through a co-creation process with students, artists and designers, it ensures that every detail supports sensory exploration and learning. As a part of the project, the outer façade of the school has also been transformed. A mural of a soaring butterfly now adorns the school’s façade — a gentle reminder of the beauty of growth and the endless potential in every neurodiverse child.
Artists Amrit Khurana and Anikesa Dhing led the conceptualization and execution of Project Udaan, focusing on materiality, accessibility, and sensory engagement. Drawing on her own experience as an individual with autism, Khurana introduced structured patterns and rhythmic textures that enhance spatial predictability, effectively turning walls into tactile guides. Meanwhile, Dhing’s expertise in material contrasts ensures that every surface delivers a diverse sensory experience, some designed to encourage interaction, others to offer calm and stability.
Built through co-creation, Project Udaan involved children exploring textures, colours, tools and materials during a three-day workshop at Arpan, organized in collaboration with the Access For ALL and led by its founder Siddhanth Shah. Their active participation not only allowed them to shape their environment but also provided valuable insights that guided the final design. A variety of painting and texturing tools—rollers, combs, and specialized applicators—were used during workshops, ensuring that the children were actively involved in shaping their own environment through the creative process.
Leveraging Asian Paints’ expertise in material and colour innovation, Project Udaan incorporates Royale Play textures, matte emulsions in pastel shades, and tactile Nilaya fabrics and wallpapers to create a multi-sensory experience. The textures allow children to trace, feel, and engage with their environment offering both stimulation and grounding. The matte finishes minimize glare for visual comfort, while Nilaya fabrics provide structured yet dynamic visual cues. Additionally, sensory rugs, and pompom-textured surfaces work together to enhance sensory awareness and motor skills. From interactive learning and play areas to cocoon-like structures that help individuals decompress, the intervention adapts to individual sensory needs, creating a space where every child feels secure and inspired.
Speaking about the initiative, Amit Syngle, MD & CEO, Asian Paints said, “At Asian Paints, we believe spaces should do more than exist—they should evolve with their users. Project Udaan reimagines how thoughtful design can create an inclusive environment, where walls invite interaction, and colour provides clarity and comfort. By integrating textures that respond to touch and materials that support sensory needs, we’ve built a space that adapts to children, rather than the other way around. While we continuously reinvent ourselves to create beautiful homes for our consumers, we extend the same passion and empathy to create beautiful and safe spaces for all, with our partners at St+art India.”
Arjun Bahl, Co-Founder, St+art India Foundation, added, “With St+art Care, we extend our vision of making spaces more open, accessible and engaging. Project Udaan transforms art from a decorative element to an interactive experience, creating familiarity and comfort for neurodivergent children. This initiative is about rethinking how creative interventions can transform everyday spaces into something more intuitive and inclusive. At its heart, Udaan embodies ArtForAll, where design is a language that speaks to everyone, regardless of how they see or experience the world.”
Witness the unique Project Udaan by Asian Paints and St+art India in this YouTube video: https://youtu.be/vRHU2Ci_65o
Project Udaan is an initiative that serves as a scalable model for designing neurodivergent-friendly learning spaces. By integrating art, materiality, and sensory design, it challenges conventional learning environments, demonstrating that walls, colours, and textures can actively support engagement and comfort.
About Asian Paints Limited:
Since its foundation in 1942, Asian Paints has come a long way to become India’s leading and Asia’s second largest paint company, with a consolidated turnover of ₹ 34,489 crores (₹ 345 billion). It continues to uplift spaces, transcend the boundaries of colour & design, creating a positive impact in the lives of customers. The organization operates in 15 countries and has 27 paint manufacturing facilities in the world, servicing consumers in over 60 countries. Asian Paints has always been a leader in the paint industry, innovating and introducing new concepts in India like Colour Ideas, Beautiful Homes Painting Service, Colour Next and Asian Paints Beautiful Homes Stores. Asian Paints manufactures a wide range of paints & coatings for Decorative and Industrial use and also offer specialized painting and interior design services. The decorative business portfolio also includes SmartCare range for waterproofing, WoodTech products for wood finishes and Adhesives range for all surfaces. Asian Paints also offers a wide range of Home Décor products and is the leading player in the Integrated Décor space in India offering Modular Kitchens and wardrobes, Bath Fittings and Sanitaryware, Decorative Lightings, uPVC windows and doors, Wall coverings, Furnitures, Furnishings, Rugs, etc.
About St+art India
Since 2014, St+art India Foundation has been working across the country to reimagine public spaces through art, making creativity more accessible and inclusive. In a country where art is often confined to galleries and a select audience, St+art fosters new ways of experiencing art—bringing it into the everyday lives of people and bridging socio-cultural divides.
Through art districts, festivals, and public interventions, St+art has transformed urban landscapes across 25+ cities, creating meaningful engagements between communities, artists, institutions, and local governments. Over the last decade, the foundation has facilitated 500+ artist collaborations, producing over 600 murals and installations in India’s major cities. These projects have not only revitalized cityscapes but have also provided platforms for cultural exchange, dialogue, and collective expression.
With seven art districts and 25+ festivals to its name, St+art continues to champion the idea of ArtForAll, ensuring that art is not just seen but experienced, interacted with, and shared.
