New Vista | Air India’s rebranding is about shedding the past for a fresh take off | India Business
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Air India’s New ColoursJust over 90 years since JRD tata launched India’s own air carrier, Air India’s story has been one of continuous reinvention.
Air India’s journey over 90 years has been of continuous reinvention | Image Credit: Republic
Air India’s New Colours: Air India was born of a dream. Avid aviator and the first licensed pilot of India, JRD Tata launched Tata Airlines in 1932 with the hope of giving wings to India. And wings he did give. It was not that there were no planes flying in the subcontinent before, but they were mostly airmail services, primarily being run by British services. Multiple airlines came up in India including the Deccan Airways, a collaboration between the Nizam of Hyderabad and the Tatas. Soon after, in 1946, Tata Airlines was renamed as Air India. Advertising maven Bobby Kooka, then Commercial Director, conjured the personality of what would eventually become India’s national carrier. A short stout ‘Maharaja’ bowing down in a welcoming gesture, the logo, epitomised a royal welcome to the plush experience that Air India rolled out for its passengers from the very start. In 1947, when India won Independence, nine airlines were operational in India. A year later, in 1948, Air India signed an agreement with the Government to operate international services under the name Air India International Ltd. Soon, Air India inaugurated its international services with weekly flights between Bombay and London.
There has been no looking back for Indian aviation ever since. Multiple airlines have come up, flown the Indian skies in the ensuing decades. Many vanished in between, many merged. JRD’s dream, however, stayed afloat. Air India has continued to ride the tide of times. The latest change in its corporate presence with a brand-new logo – the carrier is set to embark a whole new innings. Merged with Vistara, the flying experience with the all-new Air India is expected to be everything Air India was along with the affordability Vistara offered.
The new logo – The Vista, a golden window peak, promises a whole new growth story for Air India and Indian aviation. With 470 aircraft already ordered, Air India in the next five years will serve a much larger market than it ever did. The capacity expansion matches the growth in the Indian aviation market. India is set to become the third largest aviation market in the coming years. IATA estimates show, by 2036, India will have 47.8 crore passengers. It is also set to add 80 new airports to its existing 148 operational ones. In 2023, Indian aviation sector stands valued at $10.89 billion (Rs 90,501.73 crore) which is likely to grow $12.55 billion (Rs 1.04 lakh crore) by 2028. The next five years are crucial for Indian civil aviation as demand for flights increase. The pressure on all for the period shall be to keep prices in check and tickets affordable.
Air India’s story through the 90 years since JRD Tata flew its first plane, has been a story of continuous reinvention. The Maharaja of course has been becoming slowly invisible from the carrier’s overall presence, replaced by the wheel symbol. This time, the Vista makes it even more simple and minimal. The message is simple, from a carrier that could only cater to a privileged handful once is now ready to serve the soon-to-be third largest economies of the world. The Maharaja echoed the perception of India people once had – a land of kings and queens. The new, no-frills logo screams: India means business.
