RuPay is the domestic card payment network of India, operated by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI). Its visual identity was created in 2011 by the agency R K Swamy BBDO, which developed both the brand name and the logo for the new payment system [1]. The brand name is a coinage combining “Rupee” and “Payment” [2].
Design and History
The RuPay logo was unveiled in May 2011, when NPCI selected R K Swamy BBDO to develop the name and identity for India’s new domestic payment system [1][3]. The logo uses the nation’s colours, saffron, green, white and blue, in a dynamic form [1]. The design was intended to connote “an India on the move” and the brand’s commitment to deliver an affordable and easily accessible payment service [3][2].
NPCI’s official brand guidelines describe the logo as consisting of the word “RuPay” written in blue, alongside orange and green arrows on a white background [4]. The arrow element is officially termed the “fast forward symbol” and must always appear in saffron and green colours, with exact CMYK values maintained [5].
Meaning and Symbolism
According to NPCI’s product documentation, the orange and green arrows indicate “a nation on the move and a service that matches its pace” [4]. The same source states that the colour blue stands for the feeling of tranquility that people should get while owning a RuPay card [4]. The use of the nation’s colours was meant to convey the image of an Indian on the move [1].
Typography and Design
NPCI’s brand guidelines specify that the brand name RuPay is a combination of “Rupee” and “Pay”, and therefore the alphabets “R” and “P” will always be uppercase [6]. The bold and unique typeface was described as granting solidity to the whole unit and symbolizing a stable entity [4]. For the RuPay business logo, usage is permissible in blue, orange, white and black colours, depending on what suits the background design best [6].
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