MAM
R K Laxman’s ‘Common Man’ to endorse Air Deccan
BANGALORE: Air Deccan, the low-cost and no-frills airlines seems to have found a common ground with RK Laxman’s famous cartoon character `Common Man’. Both are symbolic of the teeming Indian mass’ aspirations.
Hence, it seems fitting that the `Common Man, who has been made famous on the pages of Times of India, has been chosen to be the brand ambassador for an airlines, which aspires to make flying affordable for every Indian, irrespective of his social and economical status.
An advertising and marketing campaign is in the offing. The campaign will be handled by Orchard Advertising.
Laxman, the multi-faceted creator of the ‘Common Man’, who is known to be a man of few words, while speaking of the hand shake with Air Deccan, said, “My ‘Common Man’ is the voice of every Indian and I feel every Indian must fly regardless of his economic situation. I feel Captain Gopi’s vision for his airline, of empowerment of every Indian, perfectly fits with the persona of the ‘Common Man’.”
According to Air Deccan MD Capt. Gopinath, “The ‘Common Man’ and Air Deccan share a commonality …they are both ‘for the people, by the people’. Mr. Laxman has indeed honoured us by allowing us to use the ‘Common Man’ as our ambassador for the airline.”
Gopinath added: “What will drive us is very simple. It is not what the common man can do for us, but, rather, what Air Deccan can do for the common man.”
This brand deal comes after Air Deccan has flown over a million passengers with a fleet of 17 aircrafts and 111 flights a day since inception. While the airlines operationally works towards 60 more aircrafts being inducted into the fleet, the `Common Man’, embodying “simplicity (and) no frills approach,” is expected to connect with the people.
The `Common Man’ has been a silent observer to the social, political and economic change in India for decades and his silence has been more eloquent than reams of paper and deluge of words used for commenting on the state of the nation.
On the occasion of this tie-up, Laxman also suggested to Gopinath that he should introduce fares beginning with Re 1, a proposal that would be definitely explored, according to the airlines.
So, at a time when the yet-to-be launched low-cost Kingfisher Air looks at jazzing up the domestic air travel sector with customized in-flight entertainment, Air Deccan takes a more earthy approach to connect with the Indian masses whom it dreams to fly across the length and breadth of the country.
Brands
UltraTech Cement appoints Jayant Dua as managing director
Dua will succeed K. C. Jhanwar after his term ends in December 2026
MUMBAI: UltraTech Cement, the flagship cement arm of the Aditya Birla Group, has elevated Jayant Dua as managing director, effective 1 April, 2026.
The company’s board also approved his appointment as additional director, managing director and key managerial personnel, effective 1 January, 2027, following the completion of the current managing director K C Jhanwar’s term on 31 December, 2026, according to a regulatory filing.
Dua will serve as managing director for a four-year term from 1 January, 2027 to 31 December, 2030.
A veteran executive with more than 37 years of professional experience, Dua joined the Aditya Birla Group’s cement business in 1996 and spent nearly a decade in various functional and leadership roles.
Over the past two decades, he has held several profit-and-loss and chief executive responsibilities across multiple group businesses, including insulators, insurance, Century Cement and the chlor-alkali segment. In 2023, he was elevated to lead the group’s renewables and textiles businesses.
Within the group, Dua has received several internal honours, including the chairman’s individual award for exceptional contribution in 2002, the outstanding leader award in 2009 and the leader of leaders recognition in 2022.
He holds an engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, an MBA from International Management Institute and has completed the advanced management programme at Harvard Business School.
