As Air India unveils new logo, a look at nine other Indian companies that underwent rebranding

Air India recently rebranded its logo called 'The Vista' and unveiled its new livery.

New Delhi | August 12, 2023 09:29 AM IST

3 min read

Over the years, Indian brands have taken to rebranding to showcase change in business strategy, portray expansion or even to pay heed to consumer concerns.

Brand logos are reminiscent of a company’s image and are associated with customer recall value. Air India has been synonymous with the Maharajah for 77 years. And 18 months after Tata Group bought the cash-strapped carrier from the government, Air India hopes to usher in a new era with a new logo and livery launch.

Be it logo changes or naming overhauls, here are a few Indian companies that underwent rebranding:

1. Airtel

India’s second-largest telecom player, Airtel unveiled a new logo in Nov 2010. The company kept the red colour dominant but removed the capital A featured in the earlier logo. The name, ‘Wave’, for this revamped version was chosen via an online contest and it symbolises Airtel’s 200 million user base in 19 countries across Asia and Africa.

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2. Yes Bank

The bank revealed a refreshed logo in 2022 as part of its “rejuvenated brand identity”. The familiar tick became a soaring bird with smooth-edged blue letters.

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3. Myntra

E-commerce website Myntra changed its logo after a Mumbai-based activist lodged a complaint with the cyber police, alleging that the company’s signage was “insulting and offensive” towards women, and that the logo gave the appearance of a naked woman. The Flipkart-owned online shopping portal not only acknowledged the complaint but also proceeded to alter it within a month.

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4. Meesho

Meesho, an e-commerce marketplace underwent a logo makeover earlier this year to reflect its product catalogue expansion and inclusivity. While the old logo was just a pink background with white letters, the new version displayed a bold purple hue and an ‘m’ in a dominant mustard shade.

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5. Zomato

Online food guide and restaurant directory Foodiebay.com rebranded itself as Zomato in Nov 2010, in a bid to expand its business operations and enhance brand recall. Today, Zomato has metamorphosed into a multinational food restaurant aggregator and food delivery service that went public in 2021.

6. Axis Bank

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Originally UTI Bank, the name was changed in 2007 to avoid confusion with other UTI entities. The new Axis design retained the original burgundy color.

7. blinkit

Online grocery startup Grofers changed its name to blinkit in Dec 2021 to emphasise its commitment to the rapidly expanding quick commerce sector in India. Later, Zomato acquired this instant delivery service for Rs. 4447 cr in June 2022.

8. Urban Company

Home services startup UrbanClap announced its new identity as Urban Company in Jan 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic hit India. The brand underwent this rebranding exercise to introduce sub-categories in its bouquet of services and extend its international presence to Australia and Singapore.

9. Go First

15-year-old GoAir rebranded as Go First in 2021 to position itself as an ultra-low-cost airline for young travelers. However, it submitted an insolvency plea this May amid flight cancellations. The airline, which has been non-operational since early May, extended flight cancellations until Aug 11.