MAM
Pushing boundaries for Vistara
MUMBAI: The Indian aviation sector welcomed another member last week when Tata Singapore Airlines, a 51:49 joint venture between the Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, announced to fly high in the Indian skies.
Christened, Vistara, it aims to will bring the pleasure back to flying by treating passengers as individuals and not seat numbers.
The Ray+Keshavan | Brand Union has created the brand for the new airline; it developed the strategy, name, visual identity and brand experience for the full-service airline.
R+K | BU chairperson Sujata Keshavan wants every single aspect of Vistara to reflect its global standards and Asian soul.
Hence, the extensive project took over six months, since, it involved a deep dive into customer and market research, in India and globally. The entire team committed to the project. “From our naming experts to our strategists, our designers to our studio, everyone has been living and breathing Vistara for the last few months. We had to be super careful about secrecy and we managed that, even though it was a large team,” says R+K | BU lead engagement manager Neethi Isaac.
The name and the logo were well thought of. R+K | BU focused on names that are Indian in their origin, but can be easily pronounced and remembered by a global audience. The name development involved culture and phonetic checks in over 20 countries. Vistara is derived from vistaar means ‘infinite expanse’ in Sanskrit.
As for the logo, Vistara star is derived from a yantra, a mathematical form that depicts an unbounded, perfectly balanced universe. The colours aubergine and gold were chosen because they are distinctive and cue premium experiences, anywhere in the world. The name Vistara is written in hand-drawn letters, the mix of contemporary uppercase and lowercase letters signaling that the brand is inclusive and warm.
The agency feels proud to get the coveted project, something that every agency in the world wanted to be part of. The Tatas and Singapore Airlines – both extremely sophisticated and savvy organisations – evaluated a number of agencies and before pinning on it. “I think we won the project because we could match their expectations. We have a deep understanding of India, a global network and a history of being quite obsessive about every brand we have worked on,” proudly says Isaac.
When asked about how involved the client was in the whole procedure, Isaac says, “We follow a very rigorous process with clearly marked milestones so the project was run very tightly. We have a set calendar for updates, conference calls and face-to-face meetings. The client was very involved as you can imagine. We spend a lot of energy upfront, on making sure we get it right the first time and avoid iterations that waste time and energy – neither side wants that. The brand positioning and name struck a chord with everyone immediately – it was a unanimous decision. From there to the identity and brand experience was a really smooth process. This was greatly helped by the fact that all teams had this sense of shared purpose. Everyone involved with this project knows that they are creating history!”
With the limitless boundaries to cover, the airlines’ through its brand positing wants to make it clear that it will provide seamless flying experiences, thoughtfully delivered.
Brands
33 per cent of women believe the salary scale is rigged: Naukri report
Voices @ Work study finds rising calls for equal pay audits and lingering bias
MUMBAI: Progress may be visible in India’s workplaces, but many women still feel the need to tread carefully. A new report by Naukri reveals that one in two women hesitate to disclose marriage or maternity plans during job interviews, worried that such information could influence hiring decisions.
The findings come from the second edition of Naukri’s annual Voices @ Work International Women’s Day report, titled “What Women Professionals Want.” Drawing insights from more than 50,000 women across over 50 industries, the survey sheds light on evolving workplace aspirations alongside the biases that continue to hold women back.
One of the report’s most striking insights is the growing demand for equal pay audits. The share of women calling for regular pay parity checks has climbed to 27 per cent this year, up from 19 per cent a year ago. The demand now stands alongside menstrual leave as the most sought after workplace policy.
Interestingly, the call for pay transparency grows louder higher up the income ladder. Nearly half of women earning between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 1 crore annually say equal pay audits are a priority, suggesting that pay gaps become more visible as women move up the career ladder.
At the same time, confidence and ambition appear to be rising. About 83 per cent of women say they feel encouraged to pursue leadership roles, a significant jump from 66 per cent last year. Cities in southern India appear particularly supportive, with Hyderabad leading the way as 86 per cent of respondents there reported encouragement to step into leadership positions. The education sector recorded the highest sense of encouragement at 87 per cent.
Yet the report also highlights a growing trust deficit around pay equity. Nearly one in three women, or 33 per cent, say they do not believe men and women are paid equally at their workplace. That figure has risen from 25 per cent last year, pointing to widening perceptions of disparity as careers progress.
Bias in hiring and promotions continues to be the biggest hurdle. About 42 per cent of respondents say workplace bias is the main challenge for women from diverse backgrounds. The concern is consistent across major metros, with Chennai and Delhi NCR reporting similar levels.
Reluctance to discuss personal milestones during hiring processes is also widespread. While 34 per cent overall said they hesitate to share marriage or maternity plans in interviews, the anxiety increases with experience. Among professionals with 10 to 15 years of work experience, the figure rises to 40 per cent.
Info Edge group CMO Sumeet Singh, said the data reflects both progress and unfinished work. “Behind every data point in this report is a woman who is ambitious. The fact that 83 per cent feel encouraged to lead is something to celebrate. However, the fact that one in two still hide their marriage or maternity plans in interviews tells us the work is far from done. As India’s leading career platform, it felt not just important but necessary for us to shine a light on these gaps through the second edition of our report,” he said.
The report suggests that while ambition among women professionals is growing, structural changes around pay transparency, fair hiring and supportive policies will be key if workplaces hope to keep pace.
