Air India Logo - Design and History

After the formation of Air India International in 1948, four Lockheed Constellations were ordered to commence international operations. The management began casting about for a symbol that would denote speed and simultaneously have universal appeal. Sagittarius, the archer, is the ninth sign of the Zodiac. The Greeks represented this constellation in the act of shooting an arrow. As it symbolises movement and speed, the Centaur, a stylised version of Sagittarius, was selected as Air India's logo.

The Centaur is symbolic of the airline and stands out as a distinct and sole representative of the standards Air India has set for itself.