Brands
Astranova and Zingbus power up electric bus push on key route
MUMBAI: Astranova Mobility has shifted its expansion plans into a higher gear, joining hands with Zingbus to roll out fully electric intercity buses on the busy Delhi to Dehradun route. The first batch is already on the road, giving travellers a quieter, cleaner journey while helping operators cut costs from day one.
Zingbus says passenger response on its electric routes has been strong, thanks to smoother rides, high uptime and lower per-kilometre costs than diesel. The company is now preparing for a larger electric leap as it works towards a 1,000-bus green fleet over the coming years.
For Astranova, the partnership marks a major milestone. The company becomes the only Indian EV financing platform offering end-to-end leasing solutions across everything from scooters and cars to chargers, trucks and now buses. Over the next year, it plans to deploy EV buses worth more than Rs 200 crore through operators such as Zingbus on selected high-traffic routes.
Astranova Mobility founder and CEO Kunal Mundra, said the move tackles one of India’s biggest transport challenges. “Intercity buses contribute a disproportionate share of emissions. Electrifying even a slice of these seats creates outsized climate gains. We have invested in the right engineering and data systems to support operators at scale, and we are delighted to expand this model with Zingbus across India.”
Zingbus CEO and co-founder Prashant Kumar said Astranova’s leasing model helps speed up the shift. “Our electric corridors already cost less per kilometre than diesel, and passengers are choosing the smoother, cleaner ride. This partnership strengthens our long-term, profitable EV strategy built on technology-driven mobility.”
The collaboration aims to break the three biggest hurdles for operators considering electric fleets: steep upfront costs, range and charging concerns, and worries around asset value. Astranova’s long-tenure leasing, OEM partnerships and buy-back and refurbishment programmes combine to make the switch far easier.
As India edges closer to its net-zero goals, large commercial vehicles remain a crucial frontier for electrification. The Delhi–Dehradun deployment signals a broader shift as intercity operators begin looking seriously at electric solutions for busy, high-frequency routes.
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.
