Indian Airlines, the state-owned domestic carrier of India, used a distinctive visual identity for nearly four decades before its 2007 merger into Air India. The airline’s most recognized mark, a slanting “IA” monogram in white on an orange background, was created in 1967 by graphic designer Benoy Sarkar, a graduate of Yale University who studied under Paul Rand and Alvin Eisenmann and later taught at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad.[1][2]
Design and History
In 1967, Indian Airlines Corporation changed its name to Indian Airlines and replaced its green, winged logo with the new slanting “IA” mark painted in white on an orange background.[3] Sarkar drew inspiration from the golden section of ancient Greek aesthetics, and the resulting logo featured a geometrically simple symbol that merged with the letters “IA,” signifying Indian Airlines.[1] Sarkar chose orange as a major element for corporate identification.[1] The identity program, including the symbol and color scheme, was developed at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad.[4]
In December 2005, Indian Airlines rebranded as “Indian” and introduced a new logo featuring a partly visible blue wheel on an orange background.[5][6] The airline described the change as maintaining continuity with the familiar orange color while adding blue, which it said had a natural affinity with the sky and aviation.[7]
Following the merger of Indian Airlines and Air India, the merged entity adopted a new logo in 2007: a red flying swan with the Konark Chakra in orange placed inside it. The flying swan was morphed from Air India’s characteristic centaur, while the Konark Chakra was reminiscent of Indian Airlines’ logo.[8]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2005 “Indian” logo featured a graphic representation of the wheel of the Sun Temple at Konark, which the airline said embodied “solidity and trust that has stood the test of time.”[7] The blue wheel was described as a graphic representation of the Konark wheel symbolizing “timeless motion, convergence and divergence.”[5] The blue spokes were said to signify “the sky, aviation and modernity,” while the orange background established continuity with the old logo.[3]
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