Brands
Anchor receives CMO design award, Penta to be top brand by ’18
MUMBAI: Anchor Electricals (A Panasonic group company) was the proud recipient of Stars of the Industry Group Design Plus Excellence Awards associated with BBC Knowledge and powered by CMO Asia for Product Design Excellence.
The Design Plus Excellence Awards are divided in four broad frame categories comprising of Product / Industrial Design, Communication / Multimedia Design, Architecture / Interior Design and Fashion Design with 25 sub-categories. Anchor won this award for its newly introduced range of Penta Modular switches, the Modular Switch that boasts of a contemporary look, higher aesthetic appeal and safety features at the lowest price-point.
Receiving the award, Anchor DGM – advertising Lalit Malhotra stated, “The award is a tribute given to the company’s design expertise as the new Penta Modular range design was done in-house using the guidance of Panasonic Japan. The design is registered with the Government of India as well.”
Anchor director – sales and marketing Ashok Gangar stated, “Brand Penta holds a special place in the heart of every Indian as it was the first Piano Switch of India. Penta Modular is the latest offering under the brand, a Modular offshoot of Penta with unique design and better safety features across the lowest price-point. We introduced this switch range last year, eyeing the aspirations of the youth with a clear focus on keeping it as a value plus offering from Anchor by Panasonic. Our idea was to design a modular switch that offers unrivaled safety features at the most affordable price-point, eyeing the impetus given by the government on affordable housing and infrastructure development. The range amongst many others, boasts of feature such as a socket with Urea backpiece that is fire-retardant. Penta Modular range has grown to be a 2000 million INR brand under a span of 18 months and we have also introduced color plates and chrome-collared plate additions in the same. We expect to grow this brand to cross the Rs 5000 million mark over the next two years.”
Brands
Godrej clarifies ‘GI’ identifier after logo similarity debate
Says GI is not a logo, will not replace Godrej signature across products.
MUMBAI: In a branding storm where shapes did the talking, Godrej is now spelling things out. Godrej Industries Group (GIG) has issued a clarification on its newly introduced ‘GI’ identifier, addressing questions around its purpose and design following a wave of online criticism. At the centre of the debate were two concerns: whether the new mark replaces the long-standing Godrej logo, and whether its geometric design mirrors other corporate identities.
The company has drawn a clear line. The Godrej signature logo, it said, remains unchanged and continues to be the sole logo across all consumer-facing products and services. The ‘GI’ mark, by contrast, is not a logo but a corporate group identifier intended for use alongside the Godrej signature or company name, and aimed at stakeholders such as investors, media and talent rather than consumers.
The need for such a distinction stems from the 2024 restructuring of the broader Godrej Group into two separate business entities. With both continuing to operate under the same Godrej name and signature, the identifier is positioned as a way to differentiate the Godrej Industries Group at a corporate level.
The rollout, however, triggered a broader conversation on design originality. Critics pointed to similarities between the GI mark’s geometric composition and logos used by companies globally, raising questions about distinctiveness.
Responding to this, GIG said its intellectual property and legal review found that such overlaps are common in minimalist, geometry-led design systems. Basic forms such as circles and rectangles appear across dozens of brand identities worldwide, the company noted.
It added that the identifier emerged from an extensive design process and was chosen for its simplicity, allowing it to sit alongside the Godrej signature without competing visually. While acknowledging that elemental shapes may appear less distinctive in isolation, the group emphasised that the mark is part of a broader identity system that includes a custom typeface, sonic branding and other proprietary elements.
Following legal and ethical assessments, the company said it found no impediment to using the identifier, reiterating that the GI mark is a corporate tool not a consumer-facing symbol.
In short, the logo isn’t changing but the conversation around it certainly has.
