Client: Air India Express

Product: Brand

Media: Integrated / Print / Outdoor / Ambient / Design / Media / Poster / Social / Experiential

Year: 2025

Role: Regional Chief Creative Officer

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The cultural insight stemmed from a simple, lived truth: while India is the second largest English-speaking country in the world, the way Indians use the language is often judged as incorrect or broken. Yet, this “Inglish” is not a flaw, it’s a feature. It reflects the way we think, feel, and live. It's emotional, expressive, and deeply local.

 

Air India Express, as a brand that champions authenticity through its Fly As You Are philosophy, saw an opportunity to celebrate this unique linguistic expression, not just as a quirk, but as cultural identity.

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The Inglish Dictionary reimagines how we see Indian English, not as broken, but as beautifully our own. The idea was to take a widely spoken yet unofficial dialect and give it the cultural legitimacy of a real dictionary. With vibrant Sohrai-inspired visuals and immersive storytelling, the book captivates readers while giving them permission to express themselves unapologetically.

 

For Air India Express, whose brand promise is “Fly As You Are,” the dictionary became a powerful metaphor, liberating Indians from the pressure of ‘proper’ English, just as the airline liberates them from rigid travel norms. The work speaks to every Indian who’s ever felt judged for how they speak.

 

Since the launch, Air India Express social media posts have garnered 21 million views and 107k engagements with a reach of 11 million. And the numbers are only growing. In the months ahead, the Inglish Dictionary will be infused into Air India Express’ entire lexicon throughout its business and operations - making it a living, breathing part of the brand’s voice.