Air India Express unveils new brand identity, aircraft livery
Mumbai, (PTI): Tata Group-owned Air India Express on Wednesday unveiled its new brand identity and aircraft livery that mainly features the colours of orange and turquoise.
Air India Express is in the process of merging AIX Connect (formerly AirAsia India) with itself and the entity will be the low cost carrier of the Tata Group.
The unveiling of the new visual identity was done at Mumbai airport, little over two months after Air India unveiled its new brand identity.
"The airline's new visual identity features an energetic and premium colour palette of Express Orange and Express Turquoise with Express Tangerine and Express Ice Blue as secondary colours," Air India Express said in a release.
Say hello to the refreshed Air India Express! With an innovative blend of innovation and unique Indian warmth, we bring you New India's Smart Connector! #FlyAsYouAre pic.twitter.com/59eoZhsBM0
— Air India Express (@AirIndiaX) October 18, 2023
t Express Orange symbolises the airline's brand values of enthusiasm and agility, while reflecting the positioning of quintessential Indian warmth. The Express Turquoise embodies the brand personality traits of style with a contemporary premium sensibility and a digital-first approach, it added.
According to the airline, the livery of the first new Boeing 737-8 aircraft draws inspiration from the Bandhani textile design.
"The upcoming aircraft being inducted will feature designs inspired by other traditional patterns including Ajrakh, Patola, Kanjeevaram, Kalamkari, etc, showcasing India's artistic diversity.
"The airline's 'Patterns of India' theme encapsulates the spirit of the nation and shares its stories through a visual journey," the release said.
Air India Express Managing Director Aloke Singh said the re-branding marks a new phase in its ambitious growth and transformation journey, starting with induction of the modern fuel-efficient Boeing B737 8 aircraft.
"With 50 aircraft set to be inducted into the fleet over the next 15 months, we double in size in a short span of time.
"Over the course of the next 5 years, we aim to grow to a fleet of about 170 narrow-body aircraft, with a network spanning the domestic India and short-haul international markets," he said in the release.
Air India Chairman and Managing Director Campbell Wilson said that with the merger of Air India Express and AirAsia India now in the final stages, "we are also seeing the transformation of the aviation landscape".
Besides, Air India Express unveiled its new signature sonic identity, a vibrant melody and the musical logo "evokes the Rasas of Karuna, Adbutha, and Veera, a harmonious welcome to the sounds of New India".
On August 10, Air India unveiled a new brand identity 'The Vista' inspired by the peak of the golden window frame that signifies "limitless possibilities" and a new aircraft livery.
Tata Group is in the process of consolidating its airline business. Apart from Air India Express-AIX Connect integration, Air India is merging Vistara with itself. Vistara is a joint venture between Tatas and Singapore Airlines, in which the former holds a 51 per cent stake.
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UK Professor Nitasha Kaul's Overseas Citizenship of India cancelled
Academician decries move as "transnational repression"
London/New Delhi: Professor Nitasha Kaul, a London-based academic, announced on May 18, 2025, via a social media post that her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) card has been cancelled by the Indian government. She described the move as a "bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of transnational repression" intended to punish her for her scholarly work critical of the Modi government's policies concerning minorities and democracy.
The cancellation follows an incident in February 2024 when Professor Kaul, who holds a British passport and held an OCI card, was denied entry into India upon arrival at Bengaluru airport. She had been invited by the then Congress-led Karnataka state government to speak at a conference on "The Constitution and Unity in India."
According to an image of the letter shared by Professor Kaul, the Indian government stated that it had been "brought to the notice of the Government of India that you have been found indulging in anti-India activities, motivated by malice and complete disregard for facts or history." The letter further accused her of regularly targeting India and its institutions on matters of India's sovereignty through "numerous inimical writings, speeches and journalistic activities at various international forums and on social media platforms."
Professor Kaul, who is a Professor of Politics, International Relations, and Critical Interdisciplinary Studies and the Director of the Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD) at the University of Westminster, London, vehemently rejects these accusations. She stated she had provided a 20,000-word response to what she termed the government's "ridiculous inanity about ‘anti-India’," but the OCI was cancelled through a "rigged process."
In her social media posts, Professor Kaul lamented the decision, questioning how the "mother of democracy" could deny her access to her mother in India. She characterized the action as stemming from "thin-skinned, petty insecurity with no respect for well-intentioned dissent."
The February 2024 denial of entry had already sparked controversy. At the time, immigration officials reportedly cited "orders from Delhi" without providing formal reasons, though Professor Kaul mentioned informal references to her past criticism of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The Ministry of External Affairs had then responded by stating that the entry of foreign nationals into India is a "sovereign decision." Unofficial government sources had indicated that a "preventive lookout circular" was issued against her due to her alleged "pro-separatist" and "anti-India" stance on Kashmir.
The BJP in Karnataka had criticised the state government for inviting her, labelling her an "anti-India element." Conversely, the then-Karnataka government and various international human rights organizations and academic bodies had condemned the denial of entry.
Professor Kaul has been an outspoken commentator on Indian politics, including the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and has testified before international bodies such as the US Congress on human rights in the region. She maintains her work is academic and pro-democracy, not anti-India.
The cancellation of her OCI card effectively bars her from entering India, a country to which she has personal and academic ties. This incident adds to a growing list of academics, journalists, and activists of Indian origin whose OCI status has been revoked or who have been denied entry to India in recent years, raising concerns about freedom of speech and dissent. Reports indicate that over 100 OCI cards were cancelled by the Indian government between 2014 and May 2023. Furthermore, in 2021, new rules were introduced requiring OCI cardholders to obtain special permission for activities such as research and journalism.
