Vi redesigns logo as Shah Rukh Khan fronts wider brand reset

Vodafone Idea has redesigned its Vi logo and hired Shah Rukh Khan to lead a wider brand campaign as it seeks to regain ground in India’s mobile market.

The company has moved the yellow mark from below the letter “i” to above it and changed it from a flat symbol into a three-dimensional sphere. The Vi wordmark and its red, white and yellow colors remain unchanged.

The redesigned logo began appearing on Vi’s website, app, stores and advertising on Tuesday, 1 September.

The change does not affect customers’ numbers, SIM cards, plans or benefits, and no action is required from users, according to a company page explaining the new identity.

“This is not simply a logo refresh; it is the first expression of the evolution we are bringing to the Vi brand,” chief executive officer Abhijit Kishore said.

Khan appears in a campaign carrying the Hindi line “Vi badal raha hai… tayaar rahiye,” or “Vi is changing… be ready.”

Vi said it would announce further launches and campaigns over the coming weeks but did not specify what would change for customers. It has also not disclosed the cost of the logo redesign or the advertising campaign.

The company said it wants to expand beyond mobile connectivity into technology services for consumers and businesses, although it provided no details about the planned offerings.

The campaign follows tentative improvements in Vodafone Idea’s operating performance after years of network underinvestment and subscriber losses left it trailing Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.

Vodafone Idea has been increasing spending on its 4G and 5G networks after raising money from its promoters and receiving government relief on its telecom dues. It holds mid-band 5G spectrum in 17 telecom circles and millimeter-wave spectrum in 16 circles.

In the quarter ended 30 June, Vodafone Idea recorded its first quarterly net subscriber increase since Vodafone India and Idea Cellular merged in 2018. Its user base rose to 193.1 million from 192.8 million in the preceding quarter.

Average revenue per user increased 10.2% from a year earlier to ₹195, supported by growth in the number of customers using its 4G and 5G services.

The company’s quarterly loss narrowed to ₹3,754 crore, or about $394 million, from ₹6,608 crore a year earlier. Revenue rose about 6% to ₹11,689 crore, or roughly $1.23 billion.

Vodafone Idea nevertheless remains under considerable financial pressure. The Indian government is its largest shareholder, with a stake of about 49% following the conversion of telecom dues into equity.

The Department of Telecommunications earlier reduced the company’s adjusted gross revenue liability by about 27% to ₹64,046 crore, or approximately $6.7 billion, and deferred much of the repayment burden until the next decade. The decision gave the operator more time to invest in its network but did not remove its substantial statutory obligations.

The unified Vi brand was introduced in September 2020, two years after the merger of Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. Its name combines the initials of the two companies and is pronounced “we.”

The latest redesign retains the name, wordmark and colors introduced in 2020. The principal change is the position and shape of the yellow mark.